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[X] Late Morning

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"Haa... haa... haa..."

The room is filled with the sound of quick ragged breathing. After blinking a few times, a pair of eyes takes in the surroundings. The late morning sun shines brightly through the windows. No one else is in the room.

Youmu closes her eyes and tries to calm herself. She can still feel herself sweating as if she had run a marathon.

"Get it together," she tells herself. "That was just another weird dream."

A dream? It felt like something much more than that. She can still remember the sparkle of his azure eyes. Deep blue, like the sky or the sea. She can still hear the gentle sound of his voice and the softness of his heartbeat. But more than that, she can still feel his warmth and his touch. Even now, she can recall how he had... Youmu quickly opens her eyes. She can't be sure unless she checks, but something feels off this morning.

"..."

She swallows nervously as she lowers one of her hands to check under her dress. The half-ghost turns bright-red when she realizes that something underneath is quite damp to the touch.

"Kyaaaaaah!"

~~~

Youmu looks at herself in the mirror. Even after a quick shower and a change of clothes, she still feels like a mess. But she can't afford to neglect her duties. Carefully, she ties up her hair with a her black ribbon.

"It's just a dream, after all..."

First, she takes the long sword "Roukanken". She was told that this weapon could kill ten spirits in one stroke. Then, she takes the short blade named "Hakurouken". This blade could dispel the confusion of those it cuts, human or spirit, but it could only be used by those of the Konpaku family.

"..."

She pauses by her dresser to pick up one last thing - a small bundle of cloth. This contains the skull that is the container of her ghost core. After looking at it for a minute, she carefully stuffs it into her ghost half so that it can't be seen.

"I wonder if Lady Yuyuko already had something to eat..."

~~~

Their eyes met. In that single moment, both of them stood frozen, not out of fear but of surprise. The half-ghost and the intruder stared at each other. The intruder growled menacingly. Her eyes narrowed. In the next moment, they rushed forward at each other. Both of them were ready to kill.

But Youmu was faster.

Her blade flashed like lightning. In the next second, the intruder blinked, as if shocked. Then it fell apart into seventeen different pieces of meat, each sliced as cleanly as the last.

"Tsk, I cut trash again..."

After sheathing her sword, she turned back at the bloody mess. Youmu frowned as she examined the remains of the creature. It was no wonder that she couldn't sense its presence. This creature didn't have a soul. It was nothing but a "shell". No, it was little more than that - a "puppet". This creature must be what Vincent described from before - a ghoul. But how did such a thing breach the defenses of Hakugyokurou?

Her eyes widened. It was then that the half-ghost realized it. It was already late morning, but Lady Yuyuko had not come into her room to complain about breakfast. Did something -

"Ah!"

Youmu quickly closes her eyes to heighten her senses. She can't feel Lady Yuyuko, but she can sense two presences near the mansion entrance. One of them feels oddly familiar. She can't sense anyone else nearby. The ghouls do not have souls, so she can't sense their locations.

She pauses to think.
[ ] Lady Yuyuko's Room
[ ] Vincent's Room
[ ] Dining Room
[ ] Entrance
[ ] Kitchen
[ ] Garden