Onihunter Yuna 2

95 New Alliances (Side Story)

Sachiko stood at the window, her claws folded in front of her chest, and looked out into the yard. For days a blizzard raged in the middle of June. She knew what was behind this unnatural phenomenon, but the meteorologists overbid each other with ludicrous theses. After Yukiko's daughter died at Tirr's hand, the ice oni had lost control over her powers. In the beginning, she only froze herself, but within hours, the cold wave spread until it even affected the weather.

The oni leaders had to pull all registers to downplay the tragedy at Yukiko's apartment. Thanks to the cold snap, the media had more interesting news to share.

Behind her, the tatami mats rustled as someone came to her.

"I was able to heal her wounds. The physical, anyway." Kira stood next to Sachiko and looked out the window. "I can't do anything for her heart."

"Thank you, Kira-chan. You've certainly done your best." The mantis' voice sounded exhausted.

"Absolutely." The healer appeared in a bleak shade of green. For a few minutes they stood silently together as the snowflakes danced from the sky and lay down on the ground. "That's why I and Yoshiro don't want to adopt a child," confessed the green-skinned.

"I feel the same. I probably couldn't handle the loss. Even now it hurts. When I think of Yuki-chan. I didn't know her daughter personally because she wanted to keep her away from us." She sighed. "Now I'm sorry that I didn't try harder to get to know her."

A paper wall was pushed aside and a yellow-skinned oni with small horns on the forehead and smoothly combed hair entered the room. He nodded to the women before coming over to them.

"Yoshiro-san," Sachiko greeted the newcomer.

"Sachiko-san. Darling." Kira gave him an intense look before she turned away and left the room. He also looked out the window. "Her work, I suppose?" The leader nodded. "I looked at her. She has completely withdrawn into herself. If we don't find a way to control her powers, we have to kill her." Sachiko nodded again. He looked over at her from the side. It wasn't easy to talk to her, because any facial expressions were lost through her mask, but then he himself was very reserved and never showed any emotions. "What about the search for Tirr-san?"

"Shi takes care of it."

"I could help him with that. I'm faster than anyone else."

She looked over at him. "That's not your style. And what would you do, if you find him? Appeal to his conscience to surrender to us?"

"That was my intention, yes."

Her shoulders twitched as she snorted. "You are a fool. He would kill you too." She looked down. "We misjudged him. He was a monster."

"Nobody could foresee this," the teleporter said.

"But we are responsible. I'm to blame for Yuki-chan's suffering."

The yellow-skinned oni pressed his lips together. "Self-blame doesn't help anyone. I'll try to figure out how we can help Yukiko-san."

"Do that." He nodded, bowed, and then hurried out of the room. Sachiko sighed and continued to look out into the blizzard.

***

Tirr's stomach growled loudly. He was leaning against the ice cold wall of a cave he had discovered in the great forest. He hadn't moved since he had fled. He felt dull, deaf and empty. He had the girl's life on his conscience. He had caused her death. How could he live on like this? Once more he hid his face between his hands and trembled.