Hikone-shi,
Shiga

Everyone looks at me with confused looks on their face. They get closer to the floor where I stood and looked it carefully.

"Something under the floor?" Sakuya asked, "You mean, there is a secret room under this floor?" Sakuya bent down, "But, there is no gap here. If there is an underground, there must be a gap. But, this floor blends with the others perfectly,"

I looked around, "All windows are glasses. The ceiling also looks normal," I thought about it for a moment, "Is there maybe some kind of mechanism in this room? To open a secret room?"

Ayako looked really worried, "We have not yet finished the blueprint of this house. There are still lots of rooms that we have not examined, " she said, "Too many rooms. If you want to check properly, this might take months,"

"Arghh !!!" I'm really annoyed, "Borrow equipment from the workers and breakdown this floor,"

"Ehh ??" they were surprised and looked at me, "Look, we didn't come here to make Blueprint. We came to do an investigation because this house is rumored to be haunted. So, what can we do?"

Sakuya took a breath while looked at the floor, "Alright. We are asking for help from the workers,"

Suddenly, some people come in a hurry. The servants and workers. Good. We can immediately ask for help from them. To find the girl. Find something in this house.

"What's the matter?, " Ayako asked, "Has everyone returned home?"

Their faces looked scared, "A...about it...two people disappeared just a moment ago, " one of the workers said that with trembling voices.

Our eyes open wide in surprise.

"How is that possible?!!" Ayako raised her voice, "Didn't I tell all of you to leave this place immediately?! And I also said that no one can wander alone!!" Ayako looked angry.

"A servant and a maid," the head of the worker, Takamura-san explained, "A servant disappears while taking their things and a maid disappears in the restroom," his voice trembled, "That...he said he would take his clothes. When I said I would come with him, he said just for a while, so I let him go," he said, "And the maid, she went with her friend to the restroom. Then when she entered the toilet, her friend waited outside. Because after a few minutes she didn't come out, her friend then tried to open the toilet door, she was not there,"

I looked at Sakuya and Yui. Their faces looked worried. Especially Ayako. How could there still be people missing? Why don't we feel anything?

"Should we look for them?" Yui asked.

Sakuya shook his head, "No. Looking for them could add more people who disappeared," he said, "Where everyone right now?"

"They gathered in the front yard," Takamura-san said, "What should we do?"

"Ask them to leave this place right now. Get out of ​​the house!" Sakuya said, "And the rest, who above 30 years old, help us to break down the floor in this room. Bring the necessary tools,"

"Yes, Sir!!" They immediately left the room. We took a deep breath and looked at each other.

"Unbelievable!" I said loudly, "This family, the husband, and the wife do something like killed peoples, unknown, even by their children and the whole family?"

"The Hanasaki family is hiding it," Sakuya said, "Nakagawa Erika may not know, but her mother and her aunt must know something,"

"But how?" Yui asked, "How did they take the victim without being known? And again, didn't they have died more than 30 years ago?"

"The corpse of Hanasaki Miyabi disappeared. I was wondering if something had happened," Ayako's face looked serious, "For example, someone hide the body? She may be not dead yet," she looked at us.

"Hey, if it's really a Hanasaki couple, what should we do?" Yui asked, "They aren't ghosts or humans, how do we named them? Zombies?"

"A zombies?" Ayako muttered, "By the way, how do we do an exorcism to the zombies?"

We looked at each other. That is true. We have never done an exorcism for zombies before. We only exorcize the spirits of the dead.

"Fire," Sakuya said, "I'm sure the fire will definitely destroy them. Don't they do it on similar things? Vampire or witch?"

"You means catching them and burning them out?" Ayako looked at Sakuya with a confused expression on her face.

"No. Why we must catch zombies? We set everything on fire. We burned them together with this house," Sakuya looked at us, "There's no way we can catch them. Judging from the way they took the victim, that doesn't make any sense,"

"Then, we should immediately burn this house now?" I said, "But, we must find evidence first. We can't say that we burned this house because there are demons who live by drinking human blood,"

"But finding evidence means to find them, right?" Ayako looked at us, "What if we are trapped?" she looked worried, "Should we wait for Naomasa and Rui?"

"If we search right now, we might still be able to save 2 people who just disappeared," Sakuya took a breath, "I think I can do it. I will try to use my Shiki,"

We looked at Sakuya.

"Ehh? !! Can you defeat the zombies?" Ayako was surprised, "How do you do it? Do you want to fight them using Shiki?"

"Not actually fighting," Sakuya said. His voice was calm. He doesn't look nervous, "But locking up their movements for a period of time. Of course, this house must also be burned,"

Sakuya is Onmyoji. An Onmyoji is a master of the way of Onmyodo.

Onmyōdō which means "The Way of Yin and Yang" is the pronunciation of a Japanese style spell-casting. An Onmyoji used methods from Ying/Yang, 5 elements, controls the Shikigami and divination to Ofoda, the paper with the spell for dispel evil influence.

A long time ago, the only ones who could practice Onmyōdō were legally appointed by the Empire's government. During the Heian period, their initial responsibilities included tracing calendars, predictions, and protecting the capital from evil spirits. They also monitor the influence of both good and or dangerous on earth, for example, earthquake detection.

Shibasaki-sensei once said that Sakuya is a very strong Onmyoji.

And powerful Onmyoji is dangerous.

"Doing the ritual takes time. And it's very difficult," I said, "How are you going to do it?"

"I don't need a special ritual to use my Shiki," Sakuya said, "I have five Shiki that always around me. I'm sure they are strong enough to fight whatever we will find later. We also can't confirm that it is a zombie or vampire,"

"Okay. At least we need to tell Naomasa and Rui," Ayako took a deep breath.

***

Shortly, Takamura-san and several workers came with the equipment. We then immediately started working. The floor is made of wood, so it's not difficult to break it. But, strangely, the floor is not made with one layer of wood, but several layers of wood.

"What is this?" my eyes widened, "How many layers of wood? Should it be connected to the floor below?" I looked at Sakuya.

"Keep working," Sakuya said with a confused expression.

After a while, we finally found a door. Underground door.

"Secret room?" Ayako said while looked at us.

My heart beats fast. There's something in there. Something terrible. I can feel it, "Let's go," I said, "Please, be careful, everyone,"

I took a deep breath, then pulled the door's grasp. The drift of dust moving out like thick fog made us coughing and move away a few steps to be able to breathe. We let the dust disappeared.

The downstairs is quite long. There may be around 30 or more steps. How could it be? Does that mean this is a room between the 6th and 7th floors?

"AHHH !!"

A worker screamed. We directly the flashlight throughout the room. The room was quite spacious. A room with dark walls, no windows. The room was filled with large and tall bookcases.

Oue eyes widened.

Instead of being filled with books, the shelf was filled with human skulls. All are lined up like displays. What actually happened here?

"Lo...look!!" Takamura-san shouted, "The clothes belong to our workers," he pointed to the table that filled with piles of clothes

We look it carefully. There is a lot of clothes. Some of them still new. The workers and the maid. Maybe some from the disappearance 6 months ago.

"What should we do?" Takamura-san asked. He looked at us with a worried expression, " Should we call the police?"

We looked at each other. Actually, I don't know what to do myself. Naomasa is the most competent in making decisions. But, now we have to move quickly as Sakuya said.

"Hey, look!"Ayako flashed a door that was right next to the shelf containing the skull, "There is another door,"

"To be honest, I don't want to open any doors at this time," Yui said with a scared face, "Every door, takes us too far into this house. I feel scared if we can't go back again," Yui looked at Takamura-san and the other workers, "At least let Takamura-san and the other workers return first,"

"We also want to help," Takamura-san said, "Workers and the maid who disappear are my responsibility," the workers also nodded their heads.

I took a deep breath, "Do we have other choices? We've been this far," I looked at them, "I'll open it,"  I slowly opened the door, "Another room?"

"But, there's nothing there. Only a fireplace and a pair of sofas," Sakuya said while checked around the room with a flashlight, "However, the walls are filled with paintings. A woman's paintings filled the whole room,"

"A woman portrait?" Ayako pointed her flashlight at the painting on the wall one by one, "All the same women," she said, "Hanasaki Miyabi is written under the painting," she flashed the small text under the painting.

Yui flashed one of the paintings, "She's beautiful. But, I don't feel anything is different from her. I mean, this painting, she looked old,"

"You're right," Ayako nodded, "Shouldn't she be young? I mean, after all she did,"

"There is nothing like that," Sakuya said, "Being old is proof that we are living things. Even animals and plants grow old. Don't destroy the cycle of life for your own sake. You will be cursed throughout the world,"

Ayako took a deep breath, "You don't need to say such a scary thing,"

Sakuya is always cold. He is quiet. And don't like to talk much, especially to strangers. He always says what he thinks. But, not even once, he doesn't help people who need help.

"Everyone, there is another door," Takamura-said.

We looked at him and stepped forward towards the door together. A large closet stood there up to the ceiling. A large closet with two wooden doors.

Suddenly my body shivering. The cold air pierced all over my body.

"This is the place right?" Ayako said, "I can feel the strong aura," She looked tense, "I don't think so, we can't go there," Ayako take a deep breath, "The door, we shouldn't open it,"

"I can smell the blood," I said, "What should we do? Burn it right now? Then run away,"

"Yes. There is no point to open the door," Ayako clenched her fists tightly, "I can't even breathe,"

"We have to find 2 people who disappeared," Sakuya looked at us, "What if they are inside and still alive?"

Everyone is tense. The blood smell more and more strong from inside the closet. It's a doorway that leads us to Hanasaki couple. But, we never face a demon or zombie before.

I also think about how Hanasaki couples can get victims to this room. This room is made of a thick wall, no windows. We enter by breaking down the floors. And there no footprints that lead to this room. The human with the flesh of blood can't pass through the walls. Is a demon really strong??

"I will open this door," Sakuya then stepped closer to the door, held the door handle, then opened it slowly. The cold air pierced out of the room and the strong smell of blood.

"Urgh!!!" Everyone closed the mount with both hands.

Sakuya and I flashed the room. A very terrible sight stand in front of us. Everyone screaming.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!"

Two people who disappeared were there. Hanging with their feet above. Their blood dripped from their bodies into a bathtub.

Sakuya and I immediately went inside to bring them down. Will this be alright?

"Hurry up and help!" Ayako shouted, "They might still be alive!"

The workers then moved to help us. They cut the hanging ropes on the victim's feet, then lowered them slowly, took them out of the room and laid them on the floor. Ayako's checked the pulse of both victims.

"They are still alive! Quickly take them out and immediately bring them to the nearest hospital!" Ayako's ordered the workers, "But now we need to stop the bleeding from their veins,"

Ayako and Yui helped stop the bleeding with a cloth. The workers then carried the victims out of the room.

"We also have to get out ..."

Ayako stopped her words when there is a movement from the bathtub. We step back slowly. The light from our flashlight was still pointing towards the room, especially towards the bathtub.

The blood is boiling from the bathtub. Then, a creature comes out slowly from the bathtub. A woman with long hair stands in that room. The blood dripping all over her body.

"Hanasaki Miyabi!" Yui shouted.

"Run!!" Ayako turned around when she stopped, "KYAAAAAAAAA !!!" Ayako screams surprised us.

We turned around and saw another figure standing right in front of Ayako. He pulled Ayako's body, grasped her neck and pulled it tight.

"NO !!! AYAKO !!!" Yui shouted loudly, "AYAKO!!"

I'm tried to recite a mantra, then threw a few pieces of paper. The paper turned into fire and attacked the black figure. Ayako then slipped from his grasp and fell. However, the fire didn't in burning the black figure.

Yui immediately pulled Ayako. We are surrounded. The black figure and the woman's figure moved toward us. Mantra doesn't work for them. It's not like that, the fire is too small. I can't go all out, the room will burn and we can't escape.

"Ayako, are you okay?" Yui trying to help Ayako who still trying hard to breathe. She only nodded.

"Calm down. Ayako, Kiyoharu, continue recited mantras. It can stop their movements for a moment when I summoned my Shiki," Sakuya said.

Ayako and I nodded. We started to recite mantras and use them to attack the two figures. Our attacks were unable to eliminate them. But, able to stop their steps little by little.

Hanasaki Miyabi and Hanasaki Keizo. They still here even after decades have passed.

"I will cursed you!"

I heard a voice. A woman voice. Is Hanasaki Miyabi?

"I will cursed all your descendants for generations! You...and your son!"

Does she curse his husband? And his son?
I don't understand. Did everyone hear that?

"You ...took my family, my husband! I will cursed you!"

Suddenly a strong wind entered the room. Like a small scale tornado, the room then rumbled, like thunder. We tried to see what happened and were surprised to see the figures surrounding us. A tall and big figure. Haft-human form. Forming a circle around us.

Shikigami?

The Shikigami then attacked the Hanasaki couples. Like lightning, their bodies slashed again and again.

One of the Shikigami released a green light towards the wall and suddenly an explosion rang out and a large hole formed. The hole seems to be the way out. We could see the light from the hole.

"Let's go! We need comes out of there!" Sakuya shouted.

I then carried Ayako. I turned to look at the two black figures. The Hanasaki's couple. They are still alive. They live from the blood of the young people they sacrificed for years.

Sakuya pulled Yui's hand and we ran as hard as we could to get out of the room and arrived at the backyard of the house. The hole then exploded shortly after. Some people then came to help us. Naomasa, Rui and Nakagawa-san were there.

"Are you all right?" Naomasa asked. His face is pale.

We just nodded. Still trying to catch our breath. What was that? We didn't even get to know what we were up against. Everything was so chaotic and out of control. My mantra is totally meaningless.

"I'll be alone for a while," Sakuya got up and walked towards the stone bridge.

I looked at Sakuya. There is a different aura from him. The haft-human figure that I saw inside the room, is Shikigami. My first time to see the real one. They are big, tall, and scary.

I will tell you a little about Shikigami.

Shikigami are servant spirits used by Onmyōji in very complicated rituals for various purposes. Some are used as protection for Good Fortune, and some are used as curses. To call a shikigami means to call a god, a demon, a Yokai, or a ghost and to use his power for some deed or another.

Shikigami can be powerful and dangerous. They come in many forms. The most dreadful shikigami takes the form of humans, ghosts, yōkai, or oni (demon). I can say that Sakuya-kun Shikigami is half human and haft oni.

While shikigami are powerful and terrifying, perhaps their most horrifying aspect is that they never act under their own will, they are slaves in the service of human magic users who tell them what to do. In short, an Onmyoji who can control the Shikigami is very dangerous. They can kill people by using Shikigami.

***

After leaving Hanasaki Keizo's home, we headed to the residence of the Hanasaki Suzuka, the aunt from Nakagawa-san, the oldest sister of Nakagawa-san's mother who is the current head of the Hanasaki family.

There, she gave us an old box. She said the old box was an inheritance since his great-grandfather time, Hanasaki Keizo. The box contains old objects. Like mirrors, combs, handkerchiefs, pens, small flower vases, a pair of bracelets, and a ring.

"Yui, can you use psychometry with these objects?" Naomasa asked.

Yui nodded, "I will try it," she took a breath while staring at the objects.

"How about Sakuya?" I asked, "After calling the Shikigami, you need time to restore your energy,"

Sakuya nodded, "I will be fine," he looked at me seriously.

I took a deep breath. Yui takes off her gloves and took a comb with her left hands. She looked at Sakuya as he held her right hand. There is a unique spiritual line between Yui and Sakuya.

When Yui perform psychometric, Yui needs a lot of spiritual energy. Sometimes because her energy is not enough, She falling deep in the memories and make it become real to her. So, is the reason she can get hurt sometimes. Especially when she performs post-cognition dream, if her energy is weak, She can't go back.

But, when Sakuya touch her hand, he can share his spiritual energy through Yui, and because of that, he can see the vision Yui saw. That makes him can save her when Yui in danger. It isn't working with anyone. Even Shibasaki-sensei don't understand the reason.

Yui then closed her eyes while holding the comb tightly.

"This person ... the owner of this comb ... is dead,"