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Karu walked slowly through the town, tieing his hair back with the Sound headband. He sighed, feeling the beginnings of a horrible headache from lack of sleep, and the disembodied whispers had returned.
"I need to sleep before I do anything..." he looked around, searching for a hotel.

He stumbled into the room, clutching his forehead in pain; the whispers had reached an unholy chorus of voices, all howling and crying out in agony, and his head felt like it was about to burst.
He staggered to the dresser, a small mirror positioned over it, and ripped the ofuda down from his face. His skin was pale, even more so than usual, and his left arm was visibly shaking. He formed a hand seal, then picking up a kunai in his left hand. "Ultima no Metsubou," he whispered.
The kunai shook slightly, but no other effects occurred. "Damn it..."
"I could help, you know..."
He turned, looking to the door, but it was closed and locked. "What in the nine hells--"
"It's clear your disease is getting worse. Wouldn't want you to turn out like your dear old mother, now would I?"
Karu whipped around again, but noone. A movement caught the corner of his eye, and he turned... to see his reflection. What...
The reflection smirked. "Ah. You found me."
"This is either a genjutsu, or I've gone completely insane."
"Actually my boy, it's neither. The fact of the matter is, you have a myriad of problems, and I can help you solve them."
Karu sighed. "Since I'm still convinced that this is an elaborate pain-induced hallucination, I'll play along. What do you want?"
"Listen carefully boy, because I've only extended this offer to one other person. Your dear uncle Amano Mitsude had the same spark of genius and potential that you have. Of course, he didn't have such driving force behind him."
"What are you talking about?"
"Jealousy of his younger brothers, it was. Amano wanted so badly to prove that he was better. Envy, Greed, and Pride are powerful motivations, but you my boy, you have something much greater, don't you?"
"Enlighten me."
"Wrath. Revenge. All your life, they hated you, they blamed you for the death of your father. They believed that you had no skills whatsoever, didn't they? What was it they said? 'You'll make a great politician one day'? You poor boy, to suffer that kind of rejection at such a young age, and without even a mother or father to understand you..."
Karu stood, his eyes wide with anger. "Shut up."
The reflection remained seated. "You miss her, don't you? Your memories of her are the only ones that matter, aren't they? She understood you, loved you like noone else ever could... And she was taken from you at the age of three. You really are a heartbroken child, aren't you..."
"You just shut the ******** up--"
"Would you like to see her again?"
Karu paused. "... I'm listening."
"I have power you know not, my boy. Even, say, the power to bring the dead back from the grave..." he smiled, and a woman appeared next to the reflection. A dark-haired, smiling woman who Karu had not seen in twelve years. The boy's eyes went wide as he felt a sudden warmth on his shoulder, the reflected woman's armcaressing him lovingly.
"M... Mother..." his hand instinctively went to his shoulder, feeling wishfully for the hand he knew was not there.
"Power... that I am more than willing to share, in exchange for something in return..." Karu's mother disappeared, and suddenly the air was cold again. "Power to see your mother again, power to exact your revenge on the ones who lied to you all your life. The power of the one whose very lifeblood is your essence. My power."
Karu looked the reflection in the eye. "Give me your name."
"I answer to many names. Shiva, Set, Hades, among others. But if you desire my true name, I require a sacrifice on your part."
"Name it."
"Give me your life, and you receive my strength and my name."
"My life?"
"Of course. This surprises you? A blood contract is one of the most binding bonds in this world. We're just taking it one step further. You'll be offering me your entire being, in return for dear old mummy."
"... I accept."
"Alright then," the mirror shattered, and Karu felt more than one shard pierce his body. He dimly heard a scream of agony in the distance, and only when his lifeless body hit the floor did he realize that the screams... were his.
Then he saw the blood pooling on the floor, and darkness claimed him.

Karu walked through the dingy streets, revelling in his heightened perceptions. He let himself be carried through the streets to a house.
Why did I come here?
The first two of your little test subjects are here. I just led you here on a whim. I thought it couldn't hurt to open the door to more power for you. Again, you're welcome.
"Ah, so Akadou Arina and Abumi Taku are both here? How convenient,"
He caught a stray wisp of emotion coming from inside, and sneered in disgust. "Oh, for the love of... I hate humans. I really do."
He knocked on the door. Their disgusting passions can wait. I have business to conduct.

Jazu kicked at the ground angrily. "******** this s**t! Damn Rockhead..." he rubbed his cheek, where there was still a bruise from where Genki had knocked him out. "Don't frickin believe this... Man, I should've seen that Stone Freak coming from a mile off!"
He stumbled, falling to his knees, saxophone case clattering to the ground, rolling away.
"s**t!" he jumped up, picking up the case gently and opening it. Shards of glass were everywhere, which meant the picture frame had shattered. "Dammit, now I gotta go fix it..."

Jazu walked up to where Karu had been. "Hey pretty-boy! Where'd ya go?"
Karu appeared. "Did you bring it?"
"Yeah. Here's your... thing." He handed the chunk of metal over.
Karu smirked. "Excellent. Here's your fee. Now, there's just one last thing..."
"Yeah? What?"
He smirked. "This never happened. Understand? You found the money on the street. You never knew me."
The other's eyes glazed over for a moment, then he jerked as if being woken. "Huwwaa... Uh what? Who're you?"
He smiled. "Just a nobody." He walked away.

Nehan sat on a bench, eating a bit or rice from a bowl. "Sounds like a lot of commotion over at the club. Interesting." He smirked to himself while continuing to eat.

Kimishun walks to a very quite area of the town and finds a tea shop. "This seems fine." He limps in and sits down. A waiter comes up and i place an order he nods and walks away. "O well." He stares out the nearest window.