"Eat, my little cat, you must be hungry", exclaimed the little girl with blond hair. Her eyes were as blue as those of the kitten. The cat's coat was white as the snow.
She was quietly watching it eating in a small bowl.

"Eat, you will need your strengths my kitten. Life is cruel to some... I'm sorry, my parents don't want a cat at home, but don't worry, I will continue to take care of you, my little Nya", claimed the little girl with sky-coloured eyes.

______________________________________

"The hunt is open"...

This sentence keep ringing in the three other protagonists' thoughts.

"Then let track it", added seimei .

The three companions shook their head in concert. Yaobikuni launched a kind of white talisman that, at the contact with the ground,turned into a bird. It beat with its wings of paper to fly towards a certain direction.

"There is really nobody in this castle, said the young man with the ponytail.

- It would almost become suspect, replied Seimei in a sarcastic tone.

- He is over there", sudendly cried Yaobikuni poiting at the bird that was sitting on the door handle, in front of the kitchen.

The four friends turned their head towards the bird and moved towards it. Once arrived at the door, Hiromasa wanted to get in but they were interrupted by a servant.

"Excuse me... may I help you ? he asked in a little voice.

- Yes, can you tell us what is behind this door ? interviewed Seimei.

- Hum.... well... hum...."

The servant seemed embarrassed by the question of the human, he began to wring his fingers and dare not look at them directly.

"Eh, well, this door leads to the dead little daughter of our lord Kansaki ... so we prefer to avoid the enter of foreigners in this room, finally acknowledged the servant.

- We are here for a shikigami, no matter the room", declared Hiromasa.

The servant hung his head in shame.

"Don't be so rude with him, Hirosama, repressed Yaobikuni him gently.

- Then i will leave you, said the servant before bowing down before them. Then he rushed off through the suspicious glance of the four humans

- What a strange person, finally said Kagura.

- Indeed, there is something wrong in this castle, mumbled Seimei

- Weird or not, i'm coming in", declared Hiromasa as he gave a kick in the door before getting in.

The chamber was quite simple, a bed, a table and nothing else.

"Is he a poor lord, isn't it ?, asked finally the young man with the red kimono.

- Probably, he is", answered Seimei.

The group searched for several hours but they found nothing. And yet the emanations of the energy came from there ! However, the bird talisman of Yaokubini was never wrong, it always found the shikigamis but this time, no.

"Your bird must be rusty right now, isn't it ?, moaned Hiromasa

- Or something is wrong... let us come back to the Lord", said Seimei with a sure tone.

They finally got out of the room and followed Seimei on the way back. Yet, while they were walking, the hallway seemed darker than before...

"Don't you think it's strange that there's no more noise ?, whispered Hiromasa

- It is strange", said Seimei.

It is that then that meows were heard. Then screeching of claws on the floor. Then a howling.

"Where did it come from ?, shouted Hiromasa

- I don't know, it seems to come from everywhere at once ! Seimei ?, replied Kagura.

- Indeed it comes from everywhere, impossible to determine where the source of the noise comes from. It seems to come from inside the castle itself !", announced Seimei.

The three others looked at him in surprise.

"What do we do then ?", shouted finally Hiromasa.

Yaobikuni suddenly beckoned to him with his hand to be silent. Indeed, the din had gone down as abruptly as it had appeared. A voice was heard in the corridors. It seemed to come from inside the walls themselves.

"He's lying... They're all lying !! I'm afraid ! Help me ! Help me !"

The voice of the little girl suddenly died and everything returned to normal.

"What was ...? , dropped Hiromasa.

- All the more reason to see the Lord now", murmured
Seimei.

The three others rushed as fast as they could to get to the father's room. When they arrived in front of it, they suddenly entered. Inside, Lord Kansaki was always in the same place. He turned his head towards the source of the noise.

Inside, there was also the old woman who had led them to this place and another younger servant. She was wearing a purple kimono and her brown hair was tied in a loose bun.

"What can I do for you ?, asked Kansaki with a restless look.

- Your castle is really haunted !, said Hiromasa.

- We need you to tell us what happened to your daughter, Lord Kansaki, replied Seimei.

- I see... you need it to defeat the shikigami ?" questionned the father

The four of them nodded.

"We think it might help us to better understand it, said Kagura.

- We really need it, added Yaobikuni.

- All right, then sit down...", said Kansaki.

The companions sat on cushions. In the end, the two servants knelt waiting for their master's orders.
The father began to recount the tragedy :

"My daughter Han was nine when it happened. I was out on business, you see, and I had left her with my wife. What was not my surprise when I learned on my way back home that she was not there ! My wife told me: "She went to get you". Worried as I was, I left as fast as I could. Seeing that she was not in the village, I went to the forest. That's when I heard a scream! I immediately ran to the source of the noise. And there, on the surface of the pond... my daughter... floated... her lifeless body...and in front of her... a dirty cat... meowing... And it had blood on its paws... but at that moment, I didn't care about it, I ran to my poor daughter. I pulled her out of the water... but it was already too late... I continue to scream her name... that night... She had left me... Han... my poor little Han....".

The father began to sob louder and louder. A veritable torrent of tears flowed from his face.

"I .. sorry.. my condolences...", said Hiromasa with a sympathetic air.

Kagura and Yaobikuni shook their heads. Seimei, on the other hand, seemed immersed in his thoughts. He suddenly rose up with his face illuminated.

"That explains everything !, exclaimed Seimei.

- What do you mean ?, asked Hiromasa.

- A cat !, he declared

- A cat ?, repeated Kagura

- In terms of being specific, a bake neko, affirmed Seimei, our shikigami is a bake neko !!"

In the distance, meows were heard.