[This chapter is heavily inspired and based on the plot of the game 'the hole'.]

2000.

An old apartment. An abandoned place.

An orange sky greeted the extravagant man walking towards it. His high geta sandals made a clicking noise each time he stepped. He stopped in front of the apartment.

"What could it be?" He wondered out loud. 

The place that was so desolate, actually had people living in it.

Wow.

Kusuriuri had an ominous feeling about this place. He felt like he was going to have some unwanted memories coming out of it. Most of the time, his intuition was right.

Kusuriuri entered the apartment, and the first thing he heard was noise. Kusuriuri heard a lot of noise coming from behind one specific door.

The feeling he had wasn't pleasant to begin with. And this increased that ominous feeling even more.

Maybe more than he expected it would. Living for so long made his intuitions even sharper than they used to be.

The first thing he did was knock on the door. The door opened, and what he saw, made him suspicious of the situation of the family. It was reeking with the aura of a Mononoke.

"What? What is it??" The man who opened the door asked aggressively. He wore a cheap green t-shirt and grey pants. Kusuriuri could immediately tell he was an alcoholic.

"Greetings, I am a medicine seller-"
"We don't want any medicines now!" He slammed the door shut.

'Should I kick the door open?' Veins popped on Kusuriuri's pale forehead with anger.

He restrained himself from letting his intrusive thoughts win. He politely knocked on the door next to the one which he had knocked before.

"Uh, hello?" Another man opened the door. He wore deep blue and black pants in contrast to the other guy. He had a more rough face though. Kusuriuri assumed it was due to childhood abuse.

However so, this one seemed a bit more sane.

Kusuriuri bowed, "Greetings, I am a medicine seller."

The man tilted his head, "A medicine seller? In this age?"
"Well, I have to make money somehow." Kusuriuri smirked slightly. He didn't need the money, truth be told. He didn't need to eat or drink. The only thing he needed was a good four hours of sleep. That was a limitation he had to obey in order to stay in the planes of the humans.

Along with gravity. Gosh, he hated gravity. It was so annoying. He pitied the humans sometimes. Their bodies needed such high maintenance. Eat this, work out that, don't do this, sleep that, goodness, so many rules to follow just in order to live a day healthily.

"Well, I certainly do need some medicines. Come in. Let's see what you have got. Just that, I don't have much in my pocket. Show me the cheapest ones."

Kusuriuri was more than ready to do so. He came in with slow steps, and put the huge box on his back down.

"Don't you get tired carrying that thing?" The man asked. He also seemed to be an alcoholic, but he was a much calmer person than the first person.

"What do you want medicine for, sir?"
"I want medicines to get rid of hangovers quickly. I get them quite a bit." He lazily spoke out, as he brought out another beer from his fridge. It was filled with beers, from what Kusuriuri saw. He didn't know where he stored other food. But he didn't bother asking.

"Sir, do you have any idea about your next door neighbor?"
"Don't ask about that shithead." The man spat out with annoyance.

The blond man kept bringing out medicines, "These are the cheapest ones sir."
"I see. Do they work?"
"Absolutely. You can give my money back if you don't get the effects." His icy eyes coated mystery in them.

"As if. You will go away after giving me false medicine." The man frowned angrily.
"Well then, in that case, I suggest you sleep after drinking once and see if it works or not. I shall stay here until you wake up." Kusuriuri kowtowed to the man.

He was trying to find ways to see the other neighbor's room through this room. He needed to make a hole in the way for that. Which was something he had to do discreetly.

"And you steal all my money and property? Absolutely not. I am not buying medicine from you." The man crossed his arms. Kusuriuri sighed, "Alright then, I will wait outside your room in that case. Is that okay with you, sir?" His voice was low, magnetic, drawing the attention of whoever he talked to. The man seemed to think he was desperate to sell medicines, so he seemed to contemplate the chances.

Kusuriuri got up from his kowtow. He knew how to read people well. He knew their hearts and souls. This man was a broken soul with nowhere to return to. He led a lonely life, barely surviving.

The man hummed after a long while of thinking, "Fine. Go outside after I drink the beer. I won't give you payment before I take the medicine, so I assume you won't run away." The man nodded with his arms crossed.

Kusuriuri nodded, "As you wish." The taller man stood up.

"I will go get some beer. Stay here." With that, the man left to get bears from his fridge.

Kusuriuri's razor sharp ears at that moment picked up noises again from the next room. He scrutinised the wall, his lips straightening into a thin line.

There was already a hole in the wall. Coincidentally.

"Well, that certainly makes my job easier." He peeped through that hole. However, only shadows were visible through that hole.

The view was from under a bed. There were two of them. One was a man. The other was a woman. He seemed to be screaming at his wife. The medicine seller couldn't make out exactly what they were saying.

"Hey! What are you doing?" The man screamed out.

The taller figure calmly stepped away from the peep hole.

"I heard loud noises from the next room. Since there was a hole, I was checking if something bad had happened there, in case we needed to call for help." He played it off as being helpful.

The energy of the Mononoke was reeking out of the pore. He could feel it strongly.

The man sighed, "That guy, he is always screaming and making noises. He has a wife and a daughter. Who knows what he is making them go through? This guy is new here. They came here a few days ago. And I already feel like I should call the cops on it. But I don't have evidence to back my thoughts up."

Kusuriuri stilled completely on the word 'daughter' for a few seconds, his hand froze mid air. The man saw the strange man collect himself away from the stunned state and ask, "Do you suppose you can tell me some more? Any speculations?"
"I can only guess things. Like physical and verbal abuse. But I have no evidence to truly back it up, as I can't even hear much of the words that fucker utters. I told him to stop making so much noise, but he doesn't listen to shit." His tone was laced with irritation with annoyance written all over his face.

"I see. I understand." The mysterious medicine seller stood up, "The medicine is on the table. I will be waiting outside then."
"Alright. Hopefully your medicine works."

The man saw the much taller man taking his huge medicine box back and bowing one last time before slowly walking out of the apartment room.

As soon as the door closed, he felt another presence in the hallway. He faced to his left, "Who's there?" In the empty hallway, his deep voice echoed to the boundaries.

From a corner of a turn came out a little girl, wearing a beige frock with flower patterns. She looked...like she didn't have the best health. Something was off about her, and the ominous gut feeling Kusuriuri had only sank deeper in his heart.

"Hello, uncle." The girl gave a grin. Kusuriuri gave her a small smile in return, "Hello."
"What are you doing here?" The girl slowly stepped forward towards him, although her steps were slightly shaky.

"I am a medicine seller. I came to sell medicine." He answered honestly.
"Oh...your face...it's painted, and your Kimono...it's beautiful. You are so pretty..." The girl openly admired the medicine seller.

Kusuriuri chuckled lowly, "Why, thank you, little one." He crouched down to match her height, "What's your name?"
"Akari."
"What a beautiful name." He kept his smile, "Do you live next to this room?"
"Mhm..."

There was the lead. She could lead him to the Mononoke in this way. But he had to be careful to not harm her in any way in the process.

"Uncle, aren't you going to sell medicine?" Akari asked with curious eyes. Kusuriuri nodded, "Of course, I will. Just that, I have some payment remaining here. I need to collect it. For that, I have to wait a little here."
"Oh...uncle, can you give me some medicines too?" She asked away, her expression a little sad.

"Sure, what medicine do you need?" Kusuriuri nodded assuring her.

"I hurt in some places. Like, here." She showed her near above her hips, "And here, and here." She showed other places on her body.

Kusuriuri's inner ominous feeling was turning out to be very right. His expression kept getting more and more strict.

"Also..." She pointed towards her pelvic area, "Here too."

He felt nausea seep out of his very being.
"Who hurt you?"

This was the make or break question.

"Well..." Akari hesitated.
"Yes? Go ahead?" Kusuriuri probed.
"I don't know if it's because he cares for me..." She mumbled.

AKari saw the pretty person's face become stricter, sterner, "Who is it?"
"...My dad. But...but he says it's just a game. And he told me not to tell mom..." Her eyes filled with unshed tears, "But-but it hurts so much every time. I don't like that game. But he still plays it with me. I...don't know how to refuse him...he beats me if I mess up...and I mess up a lot...I don't know..." Akari sniffled, and the unshed finally couldn't remain unshed anymore.

Kusuriuri didn't say anything for a while, his eyes remained dazed, Akari was startled, "Uncle? Uncle what-"
"Akari, how old are you?"
"I am 8."

Kusuriuri felt his brain nearly explode. His purple nails dug into his palms, as he took a deep breath.
"Where is your mother?"

Akari shook her head, "I don't know. I haven't seen her since this afternoon."
She wiped her tears softly. Kusuriuri wanted to comfort her with a hug, but as soon as he approached a hand, he stopped.

Akari's eyes immediately filled with panic seeing the hand. Kusuriuri retracted his hand, biting his lip internally, "Sorry. I wasn't going to...don't think that."

Akari looked at him in disbelief. The disbelief in her eyes made him feel even more hurt.

How could a father ever do this to their own child?

Akari was still staring at him with helpless eyes. He promptly went towards his medicine box, and fished out an ointment, "Apply it all over your wounds, as for there," he opened another drawer, and brought out a little box of pills, "take these. Once everyday. You will heal."

"Okay." She nodded. Kusuriuri looked at her in the eye, "Do you have any sort of physical weakness? Like sudden nausea? Or cravings?"
"Cravings?" Akira tilted her head.
Kusuriuri smiled, "Do you ever feel like eating things you don't usually eat?"
"No? Neither of them."
"Good. Take these." He handed him another box of pills, containing birth control pills, "For 21 days. Take these for 21 days straight. Don't worry, all these are harmless." The blond assured. Akari looked at the ointment and pills on her hands, "I...don't have money with me..."

"It's alright. I don't need you to pay me. Instead, take me to your father." He didn't forget his task. But he had more than just the Mononoke to deal with now.

Akari was startled, "You...want to meet my dad?"
"Yes."
"He isn't home now...I will call you when he gets home." She confirmed.
"Alright. Just, do tell me so, alright?" Kusuriuri stood up from his knees to his feet.
"Hm! I will." The girl smiled brightly.

She then swiftly walked towards her apartment room with all the medicines.

Kusuriuri opened his box and took a pill for nausea. He was certain that he would vomit otherwise. These cases always made him nausecious. The worst part was, they never ceased to exist. Even after the gradual advancing of society.

Closing his eyes made him realise just what exactly he felt about this situation.

And his mind burned the image of the little girl being...so vulnerable.

To think any parent could think this way about their child was sickening to the stomach.

So many people want the children they lost back even at the expense of their own life, and these people who have their kids alive with them do these things with them.

"Oi...the medicine...it worked very well." The man who was from the next door of the girl's room seemed to finish his task.

Kusuriuri instanly became professional, fixing his expression to a poker face, "Well then, shall we bargain the price?"

"Sure, sure."

However, the bargaining took longer than Kusuriuri expected, the man was quite economic, all things considered.

"So I am taking these."
"Yes sir, thi-" Kusuriuri's ears picked up noise again. This time, there was a different noise.

Kusuriuri felt like someone had squeezed the air out of his lungs. He gasped loudly. The man got startled, "What's wrong?"
"Akari..." He ran towards the peep hole.
"Who?" The man also ran towards him.

And what he saw made his blood run cold.

There were two pairs of shoes by the bedside. One pair small, the other pair big. The bed was shaking. And he could hear the sounds slightly of...

Kusuriuri ran out of the room, quickly, swiftly. The man yelled, "Oi, where are you going? The payment-"
"I will be back for it!" Kusuriuri yelled back.
"Hey! Come on now..." The man followed behind, "I am coming too!"

There was no time to refuse him. There was no time. No time to knock. His geta sandals clicked the floor with loud taps. As he stood before the door, a roundhouse kick was all he needed for breaking it.

The lock was demolished. He entered the complex, and the first thing he noticed was the shaking suitcase.

His eyes widened, "Of course."

He opened the big suitcase and found the wife trapped in it, gasping harshly due to the lack of air.
"Thank you!...ha...hah...haah...sir! Help my daughter, please!" She started crying in agony.

Kusuriuri didn't have to be told twice, "On my way!"

The man from the other room complex entered, "What happe- Oh my God..." His expression turnes into one of anxiety.

He saw the woman in the open suitcase and immediately understood what his neighbor had done.

Kusuriuri looked around with his fiery teal eyes. Instead of ice, there was fire in them, burning brighter every second.

The commotion seemed to make the neighbor stop his vulgarity and open the door. He looked mighty pissed off.

"It's you again! Why are you-"
"Shut your hole, assface!" Kusuriuri finally lost control of his mouth, his tone furious, his canine teeth showing with his anger, "How long have you been raping your daughter?"
"You-"
"She has a demon inside her now, and it's growing every second. In fact-"

The house shook violently. And screams were heard from inside the room.

"It's out now..." They heard the strange man whispere to himself as he entered the room.

The wife screamed, crying loudly and shaking violently, "You dickass! You piece of shit! How dare you rape my daughter!?!?!?"
"Shut up, you bitch!!!" The neighbor yelled back at her, "I was just playing with her!!! I was just loving her-"
"Fuck off with that, you sick bastard!!!" The man, who was by the wife's side helping her, called him out on it.

Kusuriuri brought his sword, "Witness the Form!"

Clink!

"The Truth is of the Mononoke latching onto her pain and agony with her fath...father-!" He had to force out the words, "Raping her...!"

Clink!

Kusuriuri stumbled due to the rage of the Mononoke hitting him, blood flowed down his right hand, his sharp fangs showed as he recited the Regret.

"Akari wants her fa...ther, to stop this...game-! Game, and" his body shook from the anger he was feeling towards that vile excuse of a human, "stop hurting her."

Clink!

Kusuriuri rushed behind to the living room from which he had entered into this bedroom. Akari looked deranged, demonic, "It hurts, dad...it hurts....IT HURTSSSS!!!!!" A voice layered with the Mononoke's screamed in agony. Pain, anguish, hurt. How could he hurt his daughter like that?

He looked at the neighbor, his brows furrowed in rage, pure unfiltered rage, "You heard that...? YOU HEARD THAT, YOU FUCKING BASTARD???? YOU PIECE OF DAMN WASTE OF SPACE??? NOT EVEN THE AKUMA WILL WANT YOU, YOU MANWHORE!!!!!" Four centuries of anger burst out in one moment. He sounded scarier than the Mononoke itself.

All three of the people got scared hearing him. Kusuriuri, however, tried to compose himself after that outburst. He closed his eyes. That was a mistake. He instantly remembered what he was trying so hard to suppress this entire encounter.

"𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒕? 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒔."

Fuck this world. Fuck everything. What was he even protecting anymore? The realm of Shuga gave him the Sword of Exorcism to exorcise demons. To be a guardian of the Earth. But were these the people he was protecting? Didn't the Mononoke have all the right to take revenge on them then?

Yes, that's right. He knew that.

"Kusuriuri-san! My daughter..."
"Huh?" Kusuriuri opened his eyes with a light exhale of his breath.

He saw the wife, and the man helping him.

'Oh...yes, that's right. I am protecting them...'

He fisted his hands, and as he reopened his palms, ofuda talismans came out. He threw those ofuda talismans around the two of them, leaving the neighbor unprotected.

"You- aren't you going to-"
"No." He refused. The Mononoke walked out with Akari, "Dad...dad...dad...d̴a̴d̴.....d̶a̶d̶...."

The neighbor walked behind, fear coiling him, "No, no...Akari...I just...love you..."

She walked, and walked, and walked.

Kusuriuri warned the other two, "Close your eyes and cover your ears." It was a small, helpful warning.

Both of them were already traumatised seeing her like this. The wife cried, "But Akari..."
"She will be fine. Trust me." Kusuriuri reassured, looking straight ahead at the Mononoke looming over the neighbor.

The man looked at the wife, "Oku-sama, trust him. He won't lie."
Kusuriuri smiled softly at that. Minutes ago, he wasn't willing to trust him over medicine. How contrasting that now he was trusting him with their lives.

"Alright." The wife agreed. And for their eyes things went dark. They covered their ears the best they could.
Kusuriuri, however, stared straight ahead, smiling with cruel satisfaction at the torture that he saw. His heart soared with happiness with the sound of the neighbor's spine-chilling screams.

Yes, this was what he had become.

This was what the world made him become. He couldn't regret it, even though he wanted to.

He couldn't.

The sight was truly one to behold. Too bad it came to an end sooner than he wanted.

The exorcist, finally, stepped forward, "With shape, truth and regret, my sword shall be unsheathed."

"Unsheathe!"

There was nothing more thrilling than the thrill of watching a kill come to those who had it coming.

°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦°✦

"𝐇𝐚..𝐡𝐚..𝐡𝐚..

𝐇𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡-

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞, 𝐨𝐡.

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡.

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧...𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞...𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮~~~~~~.

𝐇𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐚...𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐇𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐀𝐇𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐇𝐇𝐀𝐀𝐇𝐀𝐀!"

T̶h̶e̶ w̶o̶m̶a̶n̶ s̶w̶i̶f̶t̶l̶y̶ d̶r̶e̶w̶ h̶e̶r̶ b̶l̶a̶d̶e̶, l̶a̶u̶g̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ s̶h̶e̶ w̶a̶s̶ a̶ d̶e̶m̶o̶n̶, a̶n̶ e̶l̶f̶, a̶ f̶a̶i̶r̶y̶.

H̶e̶r̶ l̶o̶n̶g̶ b̶l̶a̶c̶k̶ h̶a̶i̶r̶ d̶a̶n̶c̶e̶d̶ w̶i̶t̶h̶ h̶e̶r̶ s̶w̶i̶r̶l̶s̶.

"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮?~~~~~~~~~

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞? 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞??? 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞????? 𝐇𝐀𝐡𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐡𝐚!

O̴h̴, t̴h̴e̴r̴e̴ y̴o̴u̴ a̴r̴e̴. F̴o̴u̴n̴d̴ y̴o̴u̴...h̴a̴h̴a̴h̴a̴..."