The Witch Hunter Part Five

[krystalkatz.livejournal.com]

Matsu pulled on Arashi’s reins staring at the demons back wondering if there was ever going to be a time when he didn’t surprise him “The witch is your son?”

“Yep, it’s complicated” Nino sighed “He’s not really a very good witch; he’d do more damage to himself than anyone else, he’s good at animal control though...”

“Do you have any other children?”

“No, there’s only Masaki, and he was a complete accident. I don’t really sleep with many women, but his mum was pretty cute, and she did save my life”

“So it’s true that witches are the children of demons and mortals?” Sakurai asked almost forgetting his fear of being on the horse. Nino looked at him and then nodded

“Yes... Or at least their descendants, there are very few direct children anymore... Masaki is one”

“Does Masaki know you’re his father?”

“Yes” Nino answered “At least I think so... We’ve never really talked about it; we are more just friends than father/son... I’m not really the ‘papa’ type”

“I’m not surprised” Matsu mumbled under his breath

“Masa’ was an accident, I’m not saying he’s not interesting...But I am a demon, I’m not meant to go all googly eyed over children...” Nino snapped “I did my best; at least he isn’t trying to rip hunters faces to shreds”

Matsu winced as he remembered the witch’s nails clawing at his face and chest “Point taken... But why isn’t he? I thought all witches go bad, in the end...”

“They do... But Masa’s mother made me promise I wouldn’t let him turn out the same way,” Nino sighed “It wasn’t impossible... But it made him... Um, a little unstable when it comes to using magic”

“What do you mean ‘Unstable’?” Matsu asked with a frown

“You’ll understand more when you meet him...” Nino evaded the question “I need to focus or we’ll end up trapped in the marsh forever...”

They travelled across the rest of the marsh in silence, the only excitement coming when Sakurai and Chestuo nearly got stuck in a bog. As they reached the other side Nino allowed them to rest although he kept staring at something on his wrist.

“So explain about your son”

“What’s to explain? I had sex it resulted in a kid...” Nino stopped when he saw Matsu glaring at him, he sighed running his fingers through his hair “It was about...158 years ago, I was being chased by a complete bastard of a hunter when I reached this house in the middle of the forest. I was hiding in the shed when she appeared, she was pretty, and she kept me hidden from the hunter... Well we had sex and nine months later out pops Masa’” Nino shrugged “Like I said he wasn’t planed but he was entertaining, the truth is though I couldn’t stay with him for long, a demon and his witch offspring would draw way too much attention to her, in those days even the mother would have been burnt if hunters had found us... So I only visited every now and then while he was growing up, after the mother died...”

“Don’t you even remember her name? You just keep saying ‘Mother’”

“Hana... Her name was Hana, and this was hers” Nino said holding up his wrist and showing them a bracelet “This is also the reason I know Masa’ is in trouble I... enchanted it when he was born... So I would always know, I might not have been in love with her, but she was a good friend... What?”

“Nothing... I’m just surprised you didn’t say, ‘You had a great sex life’”

Nino grinned and shook his head “Our relationship wasn’t based on that... So since we’re all in the sharing mood... Why are you a monk?”

“My parents were killed by a demon when I was five; I had no other family so I was sent to the monastery...”

“But you chose to stay?”

“I like research” Sakurai shrugged.

“So just as boring as I figured” Nino nodded with a sigh “Are you rested? I want to get to the village soon...”

“Wow you sound like you have a heart”

Nino grinned “I’ve always had one... It’s just very well hidden...”

They headed to the village, Nino’s eyes darting around almost glaring at some of the villagers who held up protection charms. Matsu watched the demon, realizing that in the few days since they’d met he had never seen him look so serious.

“Master Witch Hunter... You are here about our witch?”

“Yes” Matsu answered

“We have kept him trapped just outside the village... We only just sent word...”

“My Master and I intercepted the message” Nino lied, “We should go to deal with the witch”

They were led to a cage just away from the village and Matsu saw a tall guy sat calmly in the centre

“Masa’ what have you been up to this time?” Nino sighed looking at the witch in the cage; Aiba looked up at him, his face splitting into a huge grin

“You’re late”

“Only a little” Nino smiled “I thought I told you not to use magic inside villages?”

“I didn’t mean too... It just happened...” The witch pouted “You know it just happens sometimes”

“I guess he looks more like his mum?” Sakurai whispered to Matsu who nodded with a shrug staring at the witch, he looked fairly normal, and a little bit ‘cute’ with the huge smile on his face. He looked older than Nino, but as he was half mortal that wasn’t surprising.

“How are we meant to get him out of this?” Matsu asked the villagers were watching them expectantly from their houses.

“You’re a hunter?!” The witch said with more excitement than was normal for a witch as he stared at the hunters mark “You found him...”

“Yes I found him... Masa’ you’re going to bind to the monk... He’s boring, but it would be a bit weird if the hunter released a witch... And I think he should survive”

“Okay!” Aiba agreed without hesitation as he looked at Sakurai “You’re really cute” Aiba grinned, his eyes lighting up as he took Sakurai’s hand ignoring to hiss as his arm touched the cage.

“Yep... They’re defiantly related” Sakurai mumbled although Matsu noted that the monk seemed pleased by what Aiba had said. “Wait... What bound to me?”

“It’ll be fine ne?” The witch said his eyes dancing “What’s your name?”

“Sakurai Sho”

“Aiba Masaki, we’ll work well together ne”  

The monk nodded relaxing instantly as he stared into Aiba’s face; Nino rolled his eyes turning to Matsu “Okay, let him out... And Masaki, using the lure is forbidden”

“I’m not” Aiba stuck his tongue out as Matsu unlocked the cage “Can I borrow your knife?”

Matsu nodded and handed him the sliver edged knife Aiba cut his palm and then gave the knife to the monk who sliced his own palm his eyes never leaving Aiba’s smiling face.

“Masaki!” Nino hissed hitting him on the shoulder. Aiba sighed and the monk blinked wildly and then looked at their joined hands their blood mingling together

“I, Aiba Masaki, bind myself to you, Sakurai Sho... Until your death, or my own... Let’s have fun ne?” Aiba laughed letting go. Sakurai let out a long groan holding up his hand, Matsu winced remembering the pain that had flooded through his own body when he had bonded to Nino, it had almost been unbearable. The young monks face went white and he collapsed to the floor in a dead faint. Nino sighed rolling his eyes.

“You did better than he did” He murmured to Matsu who had to agree. He had felt sick but he hadn’t actually fainted.

“M-Master hunter... You released the witch...”

“He is harmless and bound to our... Monk friend” Matsu said motioning the twitching Sakurai, Aiba knelt beside his new master and bandaged the bleeding palm tightly.

“We’re leaving the village now... Masaki help your Master, onto his horse” Nino told him.

“Yes” Aiba smiled as he grabbed the unconscious monk and whispered to the horse, Chestuo helped get his rider on his back by lowering his head. Aiba was completely different from what he pictured, he was overly optimistic, with a mega watt smile that he freely shared. He greeted Niji like an old friend, and Matsu realized he was lied to yet again, Niji was an old companion of Nino’s and the horse was just as fond of the witch as he was the demon. The rode back into the marsh, and Nino said they were staying for a few days, so they could work out their next move. Matsu spent the next few days watching the demon and the witch, he found it almost impossible to believe that they were father and son, although Aiba did show a few of Nino’s characteristics luckily though his attention was focused more on Sakurai who seemed to enjoy every minute of it, and was actively encouraging the witch. They spent most of their time in the camp helping Sakurai to sit on Chestuo without fear.  The way Nino and Aiba acted around each other was more ‘friends’ than a father and son, except Matsu was almost positive there was a softer expression on Nino’s face when he looked at the witch. On the fourth night since they had rescued Aiba, Sakurai accidently brought up the parentage. Aiba gave a smile as he built up the fire, clicking his fingers together to get a spark “My magic always works properly when I’m near him” He said happily as the fire caught.“I know he’s my... Dad, but I try hard not to think about it... It’s really weird and too confusing” Aiba frowned looking across at Nino who was talking to Niji, “He’s never changed since I was a baby it’s creepy...”

“You know why he bound to me?” Matsu asked remembering the excited expression on the witch’s face.

“He wants to bring back the three kings” Aiba nodded poking the fire, sending sparks up into the sky.

“And you’re fine with that?”

“My whole life he’s told me stories of the three kings. Mostly the 1^st if they can really do everything he says then I’m all for it.” Aiba nodded

“But it means you would be sent down as well” Sakurai muttered,

“Yeah... I guess it does ne? I made him promise me that if there was a way he would bring back the three...”

“He promised you?”Matsu asked staring at him in amazement “I thought it was his lover”

“Oh-chan?”

“Oh-chan? That’s his name?”

“That’s what Nino’s always called him, Oh-chan... Wow, he must like you if he told you about him...” Aiba looked at the hunter almost impressed.

“He didn’t say much just that he left him” Matsu mumbled “You know more...”

“Is this a sharing circle?” Nino asked rejoining them, as Niji ran off. “My life isn’t some camp fire story, if I wanted to tell any of you I would... Niji is watching the area so I suggest we sleep”

“Nino...” Aiba murmured feeling a little guilty “But I thought you really liked the hunter, ne”

Nino gave a smile looking at Matsu “So you’re really that interested? How about you sleep with me, and then I’ll tell you everything you want to know...”

Matsu glared at him while Aiba laughed grabbing Sakurai’s hand and pulling him away, Matsu was about to snap at Nino but instead noticed that his eyes were shadowed with weariness. Nino was holding the protection shield by himself. Over the past few days he had seen another side to the demon, and although he was still trying to sleep with him Matsu realized he didn’t mind it as much as before, in fact he was happy whenever Nino touched him. He was angry with himself though, as he watched Nino walk off again, he really didn’t want to be just one of the many, but he thought, he'd never be able to replace 'Oh-chan'

“You don’t mind him acting like that?” Sakurai asked when they moved away from the fire

“He’s always been the same; he likes what he likes...” Aiba grabbed Sakurai’s un-bandaged hand “I’m just glad he doesn’t like you...”

“Wha-... Me?”

Aiba grinned at the expression on the monks face, and then kissed him on the cheek “Night... Sho-chan”

The monk watched him leave and then touched his cheek lightly a smile creeping over his face

“Nice night, right?”

Sakurai jumped as he saw Nino coming towards him shuffling a pack of cards, a half smile on his face,

“Monk, I’m all for free love but... if you hurt my Masa’, I will happily rip your heart out” Nino’s eyes flashed blood red as he gripped Sakurai’s robes tightly

Comments

[serial-translat.livejournal.com]

It went better than I expected. And then, Sakuraiba's birth in that fic !! *0*

I don't think Matsujun loves Nino yet. However, their relationship isn't the same that at the beginning. As for Nino, his behaviour didn't change. At any case, his relationship with Ohno remains a great mystery. Many facts questionable about Nino weren't about Ohno so we don't know anything about them for now.

Sakuraiba was nearly kissing each other. It's what I thought. But Nino-father warns Sakumonk, so he has to be careful otherwise, he won't get away easily. ^^