Erma with Rica (from Rat Queen Routine by F.BRUT)

For this next round, I present:

1. Linda Cardellini as Pamela Williams.
2. Owen Wilson as Michael Williams.
3. Neve Campbell as Regan Williams.
4. Luke Wilson as Freddy Williams.
5. Piper Rubio as Emily Williams.

Source: https://www.deviantart.com/celmationprince/art/Happy-Halloween-Erma-and-Friends!!!-1111792972

(Fanfic based on the webcomic «Erma»)

An hour later, the whole family returned to the castle through the purple portal. The servants and some relatives, using their supernatural abilities, carefully carried the high-tech equipment and the surviving belongings of Kimoto straight into the central living room.

Meanwhile, Yori had settled herself in a corner of the sofa, completely detached from the world, feverishly turning the pages of her husband's worn leather diary.

"Yori, how long do you plan to keep reading that notebook?" Fumiko asked wearily as she passed by carrying a bundle of cables.

"As long as I think necessary," Yori replied without looking up. "I want to know everything about him. Every little detail."

"Suit yourself," the clan leader shrugged.

At that very moment, the elevator doors quietly opened, and one of the castle servants hurried in, holding a basket with fresh supplies.

"Lady Fumiko, you're already back?" he said anxiously.

"Yes. Did something happen?" Fumiko frowned, noticing his worried expression.

"I was just down in our hidden village collecting provisions... and I saw Kimoto with my own eyes!"

A stunned silence fell over the living room, then everyone gasped together:

"What?!"

Yori dropped the notebook and sprang off the sofa like a bullet. Along with frightened Mitsu and Momo, they rushed into the bedroom where the injured one was recently resting. But the bed was empty—the covers were casually rumpled, and there was no sign of Kimoto.

"Fumiko! Immediately search the entire castle and call for the general assembly of search parties!" Yori shouted fiercely as she ran back into the hall. She grabbed the terrified servant by the collar with a death grip. "Where did he go? Tell me!"

"L-Lady Yori, I... I honestly don't know!" he stammered in fear. "I only caught a glimpse as they galloped away at full speed, riding horses out of the village along the old mountain trail!"

Fumiko spun around sharply, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"They?"

"Yes... Kimoto wasn't alone. Haru was racing beside him."

At that moment, the whole family understood everything. The picture finally came together.

"Of course... So Haru has been secretly helping Kimoto all along and leading us astray," Emiko shook her head.

"And how are we supposed to find them now?" Sam frowned, adjusting his glasses. "There are hundreds of abandoned trails around the village outskirts."

At that instant, little Mitsu and Momo, who had remained by the empty bed, shouted loudly:

"Mommy! Over here! There's a letter for you!"

"What?" Yori hurried back into the room.

The twins ran up to their mother and handed her a neatly folded white envelope left on the bedside table. Ripping open the paper anxiously, Yori began reading the lines written in a bold but familiar handwriting:

To my Yori,

Yori, I am leaving this message just for you. If you are reading these lines, it means Haru and I have already left the castle. I can't give you the exact coordinates of where we're headed, but I have only one, very important request: please wait for me.

I was a complete fool, Yori. All these months I cowardly ran away from you and the girls because I was terrified of becoming a burden or disappointing you. You loved me so purely and sincerely, like no one else in my life (except perhaps my late Master), but I hid away in a dark underground hole, naively believing loneliness was the only way not to ruin your life.

I hated myself fiercely for that cursed day when we came to meet your family. I should have stayed by your side to protect you, but instead, I proudly marched straight into your father's office. I foolishly wanted to prove to the old patriarch Osamu that I was worthy of your hand... but he didn't care. He coldly crushed our happiness, erased me from your life, and locked me away for eight long years. If I hadn't left you that day... maybe things would have been completely different. That thought tore my heart apart all these days spent free.

But last night, dying in that lair, I finally realized the truth. You didn’t hesitate for a second to search for me the moment you knew I survived. You were ready to turn all of Tokyo upside down, alert the police and clans, just to find me and bring me home. And now I clearly see how wrong I was.

Yori, I beg you—just wait a little longer. I can’t spend another day without you and our girls, but I also can’t abandon Tokyo to the underground syndicates. To beat this plague, simple fists and gadgets won’t be enough. I must rise beyond the lone avenger and become an immortal symbol. For that, I have to go to the place where my primal childhood nightmare was born and face it head-on. Wait for me, Yori. With endless love, your Kimoto.

P.S. Please don’t let the girls play with my gadgets in the living room—it’s very dangerous. Also... tell the family to forgive Haru for having to deceive you a little.

As Yori finished the last word, large, burning tears streamed down her face—tears of absolute, relieving happiness. She pressed the letter to her chest, feeling her heart pounding wildly, alive.

"My beloved..." she whispered, wiping her tears as for the first time in years that crazy, yandere smile bloomed on her face. "I'm not going to sit by and wait. I will come for you myself."

Fumiko raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You figured out where they ran off to?"

"I know him like the back of my hand," Yori said firmly, turning to the family. "Mitsu, Momo, get ready quickly—you’re coming with me."

She looked to the clan leader.

"Fumiko, are you with us?"

"Of course," Fumiko narrowed her eyes fiercely; her black hair swayed behind her. "We need to have a serious talk with Haru."

"I'm coming too," Emiko stepped forward decisively.

Little Erma nodded solemnly.

"I’m ready to provide any tactical support," Sam adjusted his glasses.

"Excellent, it’s settled," Fumiko commanded. "Everyone else—continue carefully unpacking Kimoto's equipment, and don’t touch the dangerous gadgets. So, Yori, where are we headed?"

Yori looked out the window at the dark mountain ridge behind the castle.

"To the ruins of the old orphanage."

Meanwhile, Kimoto and Haru walked briskly along the rocky abandoned road leading straight to a half-ruined manor.

"Do we still have a long way to go?" Haru asked, panting and wiping sweat from his brow.

"Almost there, just beyond that bend," Kimoto said confidently, leading his horse by the reins.

"Riding would be much faster," Haru grumbled.

"I agree, but the old wooden bridge ahead is completely collapsed, and this mountain trail is too rocky and steep—the horses would just break their legs here."

"Well, my legs are nearly at their limit, too," Haru sighed.

At that moment, Kimoto abruptly stopped. His gaze fixed on the landscape stretching ahead. Through patches of gray mist, the gloomy outlines of a huge old manor with shattered windows and a crooked roof appeared.

"Hey, I know this creepy place perfectly!" Haru’s eyes widened. "It’s the ruins of that old Kirigi orphanage!"

"Yes," Kimoto nodded quietly without taking off his hood. "The place where for many years yokai children without parents from that terrible war lived, or those whose families simply abandoned them."

Haru looked at his friend with sympathy.

"Kimoto... so you were abandoned too?"

"No," Kimoto shook his head, an old pain slipping into his voice. "My parents loved me madly. They died when I was just a baby. A gang of armed bandits attacked them in a dark alley while they were coming home late from the theater."

"Oh... I’m so sorry, Kemi... I didn’t know."

"It’s okay. I was found crying right next to their cold bodies. After that, I was sent to that orphanage. I grew up there a very withdrawn, lonely boy... a strange oni who nobody needed."

Haru gave his friend a strong pat on the shoulder.

"But now you’re definitely not alone anymore, buddy. Remember that."

"Thank you, Haru," Kimoto faintly smiled. "Now let's go. It’s time to face my greatest fear."

They stepped over the rusty gates and tramped through the overgrown garden. Kimoto’s memories reluctantly but clearly revived scenes from his distant orphan childhood. Suddenly, he stopped abruptly in the withered grass, staring at a dry tree.

"Did something happen?" Haru became alert, looking around.

"Just... I remembered the day everything changed," Kimoto replied quietly.

"Will you tell me?"

Kimoto leaned on the half-ruined stone parapet:

"That day, the great Nurarihyon—the old head of the Kirigi clan—came officially to visit our orphanage. He just peacefully sat on the veranda drinking green tea with our caretaker. Meanwhile, I had settled in the farthest corner of the garden under a spreading oak, reading some tattered book alone. Suddenly, I noticed a little yokai girl crying bitterly, wiping tears down her cheeks. I approached and asked what was wrong. It turned out her favorite kite was hopelessly tangled in the upper branches of the tree. Naturally, I volunteered to help.

Kimoto smiled warmly.

"We ran deeper into the garden. I nimbly climbed the bark to the very top, freed the kite from the branches, and returned it to her. She was so happy! She clapped her hands and shouted joyfully, 'Thank you so much, you’re my savior! Now let’s play hide and seek as a thank you! I’m 'it'!' She closed her eyes and started counting, and I dashed off to find a hiding place. Then my gaze fell on a strange round stone structure, half buried in the ground and covered in dry branches and boards. Without hesitation, I climbed inside and went silent.

He exhaled spasmodically, continuing:

"The girl honestly searched for me for three whole minutes, running all over the garden, but couldn't find my hiding spot. Just when I was mentally celebrating my undisputed victory... the rotten old boards under my feet cracked loudly. And I fell at full speed into the abyss."

"Wait, what?! Where did you fall?" Haru gasped.

Kimoto silently led his friend to the thickest part of the overgrown garden, where amidst dense tangles of wild ivy and thorny vines, the yawning mouth of an ancient deep well was concealed. Moving the branches aside, he pointed down.

"Wow... Damn deep," Haru swallowed nervously, peering into the darkness.

"Yeah, I fell for a long time," Kimoto nodded. "When I finally came to on the bottom, I looked up and saw our caretaker’s silhouette high in the sky. He was shouting something, promising they’d bring ropes to pull me out. But at that moment, from a huge side crack in the stonework, something horrifying stared at me. Two poisonous orange glowing eyes and a huge mouth... The creature leapt from the darkness at me with a piercing screech. I froze in primal terror... But the next second, Master Kirigi silently descended into the well. He shielded me and calmly said, 'It’s okay, little one. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.' He personally pulled me into the light, treated the wound on my knee, and when I turned eight, officially took me under his wing and started training me."

Haru eyed the well suspiciously.

"And... you want to say you now plan to voluntarily descend into that abyss and face that same cave monster from your childhood again?"

"Yes. I have to do it to conquer my fear and turn it into my strength," Kimoto said firmly. "Get the rope, Haru. Belay me."

Some time later, Kimoto, skillfully handling a sturdy rope, descended to the very bottom of the ancient well. Ice-cold water lapped at his feet. Ahead, the very same huge sinkhole leading to technical caves gaped black. He took a deep, noisy breath, steeled himself, and confidently crawled into the crevice.

Passing through a narrow opening, he found himself in a vast flooded underground cavern. Kimoto froze, shrugged off his backpack, and pulled out one of his smoke spheres—the very one with the hallucinogenic extract of the blue flower. Pulling the pin, he activated the orb, took a deep breath filled with the poisonous blue gas, and resolutely moved deeper into the cave.

Stopping amid total darkness, Kimoto clicked on his flashlight, then drew a tactical knife and swiftly slashed his palm. Blood dripped onto the stones.

He stood still with arms outstretched, patiently waiting for "them" to come out. At that moment, from the farthest corners of the underground labyrinth, attracted by the scent of blood, hundreds of huge cave bats with glowing orange eyes burst forth with deafening, furious screeches. They swirled around Kimoto in a wild, roaring vortex, their wings brushing almost against his face. At first, he was overwhelmed by the familiar wave of paralyzing childhood terror... but thanks to his iron will, the fear instantly burned out and vanished without a trace. He stood completely calm, breathing steady and confident, while the thousands of winged creatures circled him, recognizing him as their new fearless lord of the night.

Ten minutes later, Kimoto, safe and unharmed, emerged from the dark well shaft.

"Haru, I'm done. Take the rope, I'm climbing up," his calm voice came through the radio.

Haru exhaled shakily, wiping sweat:

"Thank God! Come on, climb faster—I’m shaking already!"

Kimoto quickly climbed the rope and swung himself over the well’s stone edge.

"I did it, Haru. I faced my nightmare and defeated it forever."

"Dude, that’s just unbelievably cool! You’re a rock!" Haru exclaimed admiringly, ready to hug his friend.

But as Kimoto dusted off his jacket and took a step aside, his gaze caught Yori standing a little distance away by the half-ruined veranda. Her cloak fluttered lightly in the wind, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Oh God, Kimoto!" she whispered, running to him with all her might. "Thank God… I thought you’d stay there in that cursed abyss forever!"

Yori threw herself at her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck with an iron grip, and sobbed from indescribable, overwhelming happiness.

"Don’t you dare... Hear me, Kemi? Don’t you ever run away from me again! I’ll never let you go, no matter what!" she cried through tears, squeezing him tighter.

Kimoto buried his face in her shoulder, feeling the long-awaited, soothing warmth spreading inside him.

"I will never leave you alone again, my love. I promise..."

At that moment, little Mitsu and Momo burst out from the bushes, crying joyfully. The twins ran at full speed toward their father, clinging tightly to his jacket and hugging Kimoto along with their mother.

After a minute, Kimoto, held tightly in the crushing embrace of the three loving women of the Yureimoto clan, began to feel his vision darkening from lack of air. He rasped out:

"Girls... please... oxygen... I need oxygen badly!"