9 - 3

Meanwhile, Naoya and Luna were getting quick treatment for any wounds that were inflicted to them by the previous attack and minutes later, their father Yu had arrived at the hospital and immediately checked on his children.

He asked "How are you two feeling?"

Luna answered, "Me and Naoya are okay. Just some light scratches thats all..." she then looked at her deceased brother, whom was having their skull repaired by some of the doctors, she exclaimed with deep anger, "Those bastards will pay! All of them!"

Yu placed his hand on Luna's shoulder stated, "I understand that what had happened to Takehaya wounds you, even after what he himself had done to you..."

"What happened that day was unforgiveable from Takehaya's part..." Said Luna, "But it doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve a second chance."

"Well said." Said Yu, "When you've properly recovered, there is something that we must discuss."

"Whats it about?" Asked Naoya.

Yu openly answered, "Its about our next step on where to find the girl." As Yu was referring to Raimei. "Since she has returned to the realm of humans, we must apprehend her immediately."

"Understood." Said Luna.

"Got it." Followed by Naoya.

"Good... Now get well soon you two!" Yu turned around and walk towards the door but he stopped to say, "I just want to let you two know how proud I am. You did remarkably well in protecting Mary and Takehaya."

"We have you to thank pops." Said Naoya.

"Keep up the good work." Said Yu as he opened the doors and walked away.

TIME WENT BY FAST AS THE NURSES AND DOCTORS WERE WORKING AND THE PEOPLE WERE HEALING IN THE HOSPITAL

Couple of hours later, Mary woke up and found herself still in the hospital and was amazed to see her stomach wound fully healed and not causing her achiness. She got up and looked around, finding the nurse who was beside her the whole time has disappeared.

She got off the gurney and stood up, almost falling as her legs were restarting.

Mary looked around at the environment, seeing that it was empty and dark and therefore, she decided to leave the room itself and enter the vast hallway.

Mary wandered across the hallway but everytime she walked forward, it felt as if she was walking in a circle as she kept seeing the same door and mixed with the exteriors singular design, making it feel like she was lost.

After walking for what seemed to be an eternity in Mary's mind, she decided to stop by the nearest door and enter inside.

She looked around and was distracted by the invigorating lights that acted as a trail for Mary as she found herself following the light as it travelled across a bulbs of colourful lights.

And tempted, Mary followed them.

The light guided her to a gigantic office and upon entering, it then turned 90° around and locked the entrance. Realising this, Mary ran back to the exit but it was too late as Mary was now stuck in the office room.

The lights then flickered on, catching Mary by surprise.

"Mary..." said a familiar voice.

As Mary turned around, she found Jin sitting at his office desk with Yu standing beside him.

Jin says, "Nice to see you've recovered. Please sit." Jin gestured her to sit down which she did. "Forgive me for that little trick due to the building being similar to a Greek Titan in size, I thought it'd be easier to have a light source guide you here."

Mary stayed silent.

Jin then explained, "Anyway now that you have recovered, we wish to discuss with you. Something important that regards to Zukafu."

"What do you want me to do?" Asked Mary, "Isn't he dead?"

Jin then looked at Yu who said, "We may as well tell her..."

"About what?" Asked Mary.

Jin sighed deeply and revealed the truth about Zukafu, "You see Mary... Zukafu had died once before, nearly a decade from now..."

Mary's eyes widened by what she heard. Jin continued, "Many years ago... Actually, a year after Raimei had been captured... At the time, Takehaya hid himself away from others after the mistake he caused and-" Jin then paused and then exclaimed, "Ah you tell her! I can't tell the story when I was barely there! Sit down!"

Jin then stood up and pushed Yu to sit down.

Yu then continued the story, "You see Mary, one of the kids had seen Takehaya running from my home with oddly engraved book and knowing the dangers, I went out looking for him and after a whole of searching for him."

A form of images show what had happened that day. Starting with:

The young Takehaya in his room, all by himself, as he is curled up into a ball. During the morning, one of the kids from the playground seeing and pointing out Takehaya running from the house with an odd book in his hands. And finally, during sunset, Yu along with Jin and Luna and Naoya looking everywhere for him.

Yu then continued "We were unsuccessful but that was when we received a flare pistol mark from someone who found him and immediately, me, Jin and a few others went to the location where we found Takehaya handing the book to a stranger and it was there that this stranger performed some kind of ritual of such as it became a cloud of dust and forced itself into his body.

The next images showed the following:

The group seeing the flare signal and hastily running in that direction. In the forest, at night, Jin and Yu see Takehaya as he hands the book to the stranger who appeared at a menacing height with intrigué detail in the clothing that it wore with their face hidden with a cloak, while showing their light green glowing eyes. The stranger then lifted itself up as it roars menacingly while Jin and Yu exit out of their hiding spots to save Takehaya. But the stranger then turns into clouds of dust and enters Takehaya's body by entering his chest.

Yu continued with his story, "And before we knew it, Takehaya's body began to... change and before we knew it, that thing had emerged from inside him, destroying his body. It then went on a rampage in which it attacked Luna, causing her to go unconscious. I managed to defeat it but it had changed its form back into Takehaya but he had changed..."

The final images show:

Takehaya's body exploding in to pieces, revealing the stranger but with newer detail that had five symbols in Kanji with engravings of five elements and the cloak has changed its colour as it was now navy blue and its whole body appearing in black graphite-like particles that moved alongside the others at ferocious speed. The stranger then began acting uncontrollably as it attacked the environment around him and even hitting Luna who fell unconscious. It then faced off against Yu whom was defeated and appearing like an illusion, it reverted back into Takehaya but when he opened his eyes, they appeared blank.

Yu then concluded the story saying, "And the reason why we said that he has been dead was because of that incident."

Mary, puzzled, asked "That- Doesn't make sense! If he had died that day then wouldn't he have been-"

Yu then finished her sentence saying, "Assimilated, yes that is how Takehaya died. That thing destroyed the cells inside him and it turned him into what he was then... My son..."

Unknown to the three, Luna and Naoya were listening in on the conversation and were shocked to be learning this as they themselves believed that Takehaya was merely possessed but this whole time, he was a thing.