This was weird. For someone like Yu Narukami, that was saying something. After all, not many can claim to get sucked into a TV, befriend a stuffed bear that turned out to be a piece of human subconscious that developed sentience, then proceed to solve a serial murder mystery, capture the serial murderer, save the world, defeat a goddess and ensure humanity's future. He can, and he did so in that order. The young man sighed. He had to add seeing things to the list of weird things that happened to him.

He looked out the window of the train station. It was just yesterday that he'd defeated Izanami. The calls of his many friends in Inaba supporting his heart as he took on all those godlike strikes that the rotting diety had sent his way. He remembered the pain and the nothingness, standing in that hellish place alone. His friends gone from a thousand curses dragging them to the underworld. His mind fracturing under the strain of being alone facing an indestructible goddess.

The young man clutched at his heart. He had been mistaken then. As he lay down in that foggy landscape, he remembered the bonds he shared with everyone. He was never alone.

Even if you should lose everything... Your soul will not be isolated.

It was probably not what she meant, but Yu understood at that time. The visions, no, the feelings of everybody encouraging him, telling him not to give up. They supported his heart and allowed him to awaken to a new power. Yes, even if a thousand curses should bring him to despair, there are ten thousand truths that bring about hope.

"Now arriving at xxxx station, now arriving at xxxx station. All those disembarking, please check your luggage and have a nice day."

Yu took that as his cue and grabbed the hand carry bag he had stuffed up in the compartment above. It contained his papers, some clothes and money. They were essentials he would need in case anything happened to him without anyone to contact.

The train slid to a stop and he had to wait for the electronic doors to open before admitting himself out. It surprised him when a tidal wave of people crushed him in on all sides and pushed him out of the train in a massive flood of humanity. By the time he was aware hat not everything around him was inadvertently trying to crush him, he was already on the platform, his casual outfit crumpled in places and the strap of his travel bag barely hanging of his shoulder.

The former city boy frowned. He'd grown used to the slow pace of Yaso-Inaba. The hustle and bustle of the city seemed so foreign now. Yu took a deep breath and straightened himself out. He reached into his pocket and produced a letter. It was one that came from his parents a few weeks before the battle with Izanami. It was to inform him of where to go after leaving Yaso-Inaba, that place wasn't home.

It seemed his parents had sold off the house. They apologized to their son and hoped he understood. The company his father worked at had declared bankruptcy and was now trying to help the company find traction for its employees. As an executive, Mr. Narukami couldn't leave those under him high and dry and was working his hardest to make ends meet for everyone. Mrs. Narukami on the other hand was an entrepreneur who helped others start up businesses for a price. It was just bad luck that she was caught up in a scam and was now faced with many debts in place of her false clients. They assured him though that their lifestyle wouldn't be affected. Though they gave up the house, they still had well enough money in the bank to make a comeback and if all went well, they could purchase a home somewhere, maybe in Yaso-Inaba.

It was this single bit of news that made the only child of the Narukami household smile. It seemed Uncle Dojima told his parents all about Yu's adventures in the small town, well some of it. It made the parents consider the countryside a place to finally settle down and live as a proper family. But for now, they had to weather this storm as best as they could so Yu was being sent to live with another family for awhile. His parents were going to be at work full time this year round.

"Narukami Ai.", he read the name on a separate sheet of paper. It was the details of his new home away from home. He would be staying with his aunt Ai until next spring. She was the younger sister of his father, single, with a house far too big to live on her own. The house's address was written down at the bottom with some words underlined thrice.

Don't expect too much. She's stubborn, irresponsible, immature and unmotivated so please be patient and try to get along with her.

Yu felt a large roll of sweat run down the back of his scalp. His aunt sounded lovely. Looking around, he felt that there was no one here waiting for him in this foreign place. The young man shrugged off the feeling of discomfort being somewhere unknown usually gave. He was used to this kind of thing so he left without so much as a complaint on his mind.

Back to before, Narukami had been wondering about seeing things. It happened once or twice after waking up this morning, seeing wisps of light wafting off of people. The scenery around him from the mountains beyond to the smallest flower at his feet seemingly even more vivid with a soft glow emitted from them. The buildings around him also had that same eerie feeling, but less lively and more chaotic. Like someone took various paints and half-stirred them in a bucket before splashing it against the walls.

That was not the worst though, sometimes he felt like he saw shadows moving. Not like the shadows he was used to but the shadows livings things give off when exposed to light. Sometimes they were small, sometimes they were big, at most times they gave off this unearthly aura, like he was seeing something that wasn't meant to be seen. Just thinking about them made his stomach tie up in uncomfortable knots.

The city was much the same way. In addition to the buzz of people zipping about in half a pace just under a run, the sound of whizzing cars and the general fanfare one would expect of a metropolis was dizzying. Add on this added confusion of lights and colors and shadows, it was all Yu could do to not let his headache show.

By the time he could stand no more, the crowds had thinned enough for him to breath in peace. The eerie visions were still there, but lessened by the lack of traffic on this street. A quick look around told him that he'd wandered into a residential district. He pulled out the letter again and read the address. With a quick scan of the area, he consulted a nearby sign post. "This is the right street.", Yu smiled thinly under a sweating brow.

Another once over allowed him to see the nearest door numbers and the pattern in which they changed from one residence to the next. His aunt wasn't far off. So he followed the numbers, counting them as he went along.

It didn't take too much time to reach the correct address, but what Yu saw made him doubt its authenticity. The house was indeed far too big for just one person to live in. It was easily the size of a small estate. In comparison to what he personally knew, this one house could've fit three of Uncle Dojima's house. It was pretty surreal.

It looked like someone had grafted a large stone block of a building to a traditional japanese home. Though the design wasn't outlandish, it still wasn't common anymore. The front door was on the traditional side with a wooden sliding door, like back in Inaba. The modern cement building had a large garage grate that looked wide enough to fit two cars comfortably. Directly beside the front door was a brown mail box, which was probably red back when it was new. Above it was a doorbell with a button far too shiny for its dusty housing.

He pressed it and heard a muffled buzzer sound behind the wooden barrier. A few moments and padding footsteps on crisp wood could be heard. The sliding door slammed open none too gently. Wood creaking in protest at the hand continuing to abuse it with a death grip. The owner of said hand, and most likely house, stood in the entryway. Face unmasked with pleasantries, fully showing displeasure.

Mr. Narukami had neglected to tell Yu anything about his aunt beyond the personality warnings. So the young man wasn't sure what to expect. He hadn't even been told what she looked like, instead his father only informed him that he'd know she was family the second he laid eyes on her. Yu's father was not mistaken. Because in front of Yu was a young woman with hair the color of ash. She stood just a few inches shorter than he did. On her shoulders hung a sweat jacket while a heavy looking shirt engulfed her slender form. The only clue he had to her figure being the long skinny neck and equally thin arms showing. On her legs were loose pajama pants while her feet were comfortably nestled in slippers.

"So it's you?", the woman asked in a surprisingly low voice. She fixed him a grumpy stare with her stormy gray eyes before huffing out a sigh, "I signed up for this. Might as well get it over with. Narukami Ai, your father's baby sister. I'm your aunt.". She spun on her heel and gestured for him to follow her inside. "Don't forget to close the door.", she reminded off-handedly.

Yu watched her back as she went in. His aunt Ai was rather... youthful to say the least. Yu's own father was already in his early-forties. She didn't look a day over 25. Her gunmetal mane was wild and untamed, her bangs covering most of her face and well past her chest. The rest of it went past her waist and the young man was quite sure she must've just woken up or something. Her skin held the flush of someone just rising from hibernation.

The young Narukami stepped inside himself and slid the door shut, locking it for good measure. Yu found himself at the large entrance, a shoe rack, coat rack and umbrella stand met him. Past those on the foyer, was a flight of stares leading to the second floor. Resting by the foot of the steps was a table with a telephone resting on it. Phone books and piles of fresh post-it notes accompanying the machine. Above the table hung a cork board studded with colored pin pegs. He removed his shoes before stepping into the house proper.

Curiosity urged Yu to approach the board. Various pieces of paper hung there like notices on a school bulletin board. There were pictures of people he didn't know, men, women, children, none of them familiar in any way. Something about all this tugged at him in a manner he couldn't explain.

"Over here!", his aunt called from the hall right across the front door. Yu followed along ending up in the living room.

The younger Narukami could see the sofa set, coffee table and TV along with other odds and ends placed around the room. The most eye catching though were familiar half-sorted cardboard boxes on the floor near the doorway.

A long drawn out yawn escaped from the elder Narukami's gaping mouth before she gestured from her nephew to the boxes. "Movers dropped your stuff off a few hours ago.", she explained blearily. "I took a couple of them up to your new room. But too tired to finish the rest. Hope you don't mind.".

Yu gave her a kind smile, something that put a frown on the elder's face. "No problem.", he told her succinctly. "You look tired. You should probably get some sleep. I'll clean up over here.", tumbled out the words from his mouth.

The look his aunt gave him darkened just a fraction and it was all Yu could do to keep his composure, which in reality, he couldn't. His poker face was being maintained against his will, and he had an inkling as to why. Despite the half-glare Narukami Ai was giving him, she finally relented with a huff, "Guess you're right.". She ran one hand over her face, pulling against the stress and tension, subconsciously scrunching it up into a scowl. "I'm kind of falling apart at the seams right now. I don't think I can make lunch, or dinner. If you get hungry, there's some leftovers in the fridge. I trust you can keep yourself from burning down my house?".

An award winning smile met tired eyes. "Actually, I was hoping to order some take out.", Yu confessed with a shy confidence he did not feel.

His aunt gave him an odd look before shaking her head. "Do as you wish.", she waved him off.

He watched her head up a flight of stairs. A worrying soup weighed down his gut when he realized that she hadn't told him which room was his. But that unnatural confidence from talking to her was still there. It reassured him that he'd figure it out for himself without much trouble.

For all his soreness and headaches from travel to seeing things, Yu was quick to figure out where this odd positivity was coming from. "Thanks Izanagi.", the young man hummed to himself before prowling the house for his room.

Persona, another self, another you. A mask someone wears to fulfill their role in society at a specific time, at a specific place and in a specific situation. That is the psychological definition for persona. For Yu Narukami, persona is the ability to call upon these other selves from one's own heart to the plane of reality. It's the personification of various or prominent aspects of the human psyche given form and power that ranges from the fantastical to the apocalyptic. They have been an important asset to Yu in his endeavors of catching serial killers, defeating goddesses and beating shadows.

Shadow is another psychological term. It refers to repressed emotional and psychological impulses of a person which eventually takes its own form as a counterbalance to the ego. Much like its counterpart the persona, Yu had come to know them differently as well. To him, shadows were out of control aspects of the human heart. Ones with way too much power and too little inhibitions. They are incapable of reasoning and only strive to better their own agenda, mostly at the cost of the ego from which they were born.

Now it may sound like these fantastical things have nothing to do with how Yu feels, but that's actually the opposite. Personas can influence how their hosts act in certain situations. Most of the time, the person has to slip into these masks, or personas, but sometimes these masks come naturally and inexplicably to people. They fall into mannerisms they don't usually exhibit in response to certain situations.

It's in this manner that Yu Narukami has been able to effectively school his emotions into something more lively than what he had a year prior. The different personas he'd gained imparting with him their quirks and understanding to temperaments akin to theirs.

Now most people would think that the only way for them to do this would be to tell him directly what to do. Like there would be a voice whispering in his ear the whole time on what to say, how to school his features and what not. That wasn't the case at all. As far as Yu's experience, the personas rarely ever told him outright what to do. Instead, they merely steered his mind to think in a certain way. Like when thinking of what would be good for dinner, certain food items feel more appropriate than others. In speaking, they'd automatically fill sentences he has trouble putting together. It was the same case with his previous confidence and request. Without knowing what to do on his own, his most trusted persona filled in the blanks for him. It's something he was as grateful for as his powers.

It took Yu the better part of the morning to find his room and move all his stuff in. The house was big, bigger than any house Narukami had been to when moving from home to home. Even his family's house was small in comparison to this. The décor was simple and the rooms were relegated to basic utilities. The only luxury one could see in the house was the sheer space allocated for each. That was only describing the first floor though. The second floor had a lot more wasted space. There were empty rooms here and there. Some of them looking fairly lived in. Yu deduced that those were probably guest rooms because of the lack of personal touch.

His aunt's room was the master bedroom by the stairs. Its door was slightly ajar so Yu went to check on it. Inside, the young Narukami found his aunt curled up into a ball on top of her sheets, battling against sunlight streaming in through gaps in the curtains. She really looked like a wreck. With patches of dark skin under her eyes and matching sickly palor to highlight them.

Ofcourse, being the kind of guy he was, Yu Narukami went out of his way to make her more comfortable. He made sure to close the curtains to block out the sun from her eyes. The jacket half-pinned under her was slowly retrieved to be folded and placed on the bedside stand. The last task was the tricky part. Yu had to negotiate the sleeping woman out of that fetal position and tuck her in without waking her. Easier said than done. Less so on how to keep her asleep because she slept like the dead. Instead, it was more on the fact she did not appreciate being moved against her volition. Even unconscious, she fought her nephew who was doing his best to treat her well with kicks and punches of the most undignified kind. Yu's father was right, she was stubborn. His face was going to smell like feet for a while.

Yu sighed, he hadn't even been here for an hour and it already felt like he was the legal guardian. It had taken some time with the Dojimas before he was trusted to take care of himself. Here, it wasn't so much that he was trusted to not do anything stupid as his aunt didn't care at all. At least his uncle tried to be the adult. She didn't even bother with such standards.

Looking around, perhaps his aunt's aloofness would be worth it. It wasn't a great room per se. It was smaller than apartments or dorms that he rented in the past, but bigger than his room back in Inaba. Bare furniture was there: a bed, a dresser, a shelf cabinet and another separate cabinet. Given the size, it was a pretty empty. The unused floor space was cluttered with his travel bag and boxes of personal effects.

One glance at the clock informed Yu that it was half an hour before 11 o'clock. There was still time to unpack some of his more important belongings. He started with the biggest and heaviest of the boxes, one of the first his aunt carried here before he arrived. A smile played on his lips as he undid the packing tape. Aunt Ai had taken great care in handling his luggage, he could tell from the pristine condition of the boxes. As a plus, it seemed she wasn't so nosy as to question the contents either. He pulled out one of the objects that was secured inside and its steel song rang through the air, clear and beautiful as he first heard it.

Maybe Aunt Ai cared more than she liked to show.

Yu Narukami watched his handiwork with a proud twinkle in his eye. He spun a ring of keys on his index finger while whistling an upbeat little tune. The lock on his cabinet was perfect. It already had one built-in but he added a few more that he brought with him from Inaba. It wouldn't do for the cabinet's contents to be known to the world after all.

Looking down, the teen took stock of what he'd unpacked. His souvenirs were done, some clothes were also unpacked. He had unsealed the packaging tape for his boxes of figures and books but thought better of putting them up. Display was an art form in itself after all. Careful consideration would be needed.

A loud gurgle sounded through the relative quiet.

Also, food. Food would definitely be needed. Narukami checked the clock again and realized it was a little after 1. He realized that hunger at this point, was completely justified. But then again, he also felt fatigue creep up on him with all the subtlety of a sack of bricks. A yawn ripped itself from his mouth. The day's travel and immediate work on getting here likely piled up to hit him now.

Narukami grumbled a bit to himself and decided on sleep first. Eating would have him wait for the deliveryman or reheat leftovers from the large fridge in the kitchen. The teen wasn't very confident on his ability to do either with his eye lids feeling tons heavier. So instead, he plopped down on his bed and let the darkness take him.

There is more to this world than you think

Darkness encompassed all he could see.

Your eyes can not deceive you

This was not that place.

Only if you close your eyes.

So why could he hear her voice?

Will the truth be lost.

Why was it so close that he could feel her breath on his ear?

Because your eyes perceive only truth.

It sent shivers, both good and bad, tingling up and down his spine.

For those eyes are...

Yu opened his eyes to fading sunlight. A groan escaped his lips when his brain tried to fire up. It felt like a huge chunk was missing from it. Not in a painful way, but instead, it felt like he was forgetting something important.

"Was I dreaming?", he wonderered to himself.

It felt like he was dreaming. Someone was talking, and he wasn't. Was he? He felt like all he did was listen? Though there were so many things he wanted to ask. Or was it only one thing he wanted to ask?

Yu, frowned in displeasure. It felt like somebody scrambled the contents of his brain then poured them back in. Maybe sleep wasn't such a good idea. He should have- Wait, what wa the alternative again?

The teen scratched irritably at his silver hair when his stomach growled loudly in protest. It was none too pleased at being ignored for so long and it was then that Yu's mind fell into perspective.

The move, his aunt, his arrival, going to sleep instead of lunch. His stomach growled once more. So that was it., he missed lunch. The young Narukami wiped the lethargy off his face with calloused hands. A wry smile came on his lips as he remembered his aunt doing something similar earlier. They really were related. With that in mind, he should probably get something to eat. He remembered that his aunt was also sleeping when he moved into his room. Maybe she could do with some waking up and food as well.

He took a quick glance at the clock to judge how much food was okay without ruining dinner. He almost fell off his bed when he read it 4:42 P.M.. It was already that late into the afternoon, nearing the hours of dusk. Lunch was definitely out of the question now.

Straightening his clothes out, Narukami deemed the ones he wore on the way here from Inaba just fine. Sleeping in them hadn't crumpled the cloth too bad.

He emerged from his room full of purpose. Get his aunt and himself better acquainted over a nice beef bowl. Maybe a pork bowl if beef was out, though he doubted there was anything the caliber of Aiya in the area.

That purpose of his however, was utterly meaningless. Because his aunt was nowhere to be found in the house. He would have checked but he preferred to trust the large note pinned conspicuously on the cork board at the entrance.

First thing he noticed when he laid eyes on it was the hasty scrawl that dominated the white sheet. Clear marks of frustrated erasing and shading out were also apparent. Either aunt Ai was a nervous wreck or she was in a serious hurry.

Dear nephew

The letter began.

I-(shaded)

Welco-(crossed out)

Sorry. I'm pretty bad with words. I guess I already told you but let me introduce myself again. I'm your father's baby sister, Ai Narukami. I have to apologize for yesteryday(shaded) this morning. I haven't slept in weeks*rub out* days because of work. I wanted to make it up to you with dinner since lunch was a bust, but something came up so I had to leave earlier than usual. Please don't think that I hate you(hastily shaded out). It's not that I don't like you. I'm just busy.

P.S. I remembered that you wanted take out instead of leftovers. I couldn't order, but I left you something in the green envelope beside the phone. Have fun, and don't hurt my baby.

Yu folded scanned the piece of paper again with a frown on his brow. The last line perplexed him but he heeded the message anyway.

There was a green envelope beside the push button phone. It looked quite bulky for effeminate stationary. It wasn't sealed so the boy had little difficulty in getting at the contents. Inside was about 10,000 yen in 1000 yen bills. But that wasn't what made the envelop so bulky. It was the fault of two key rings, jangling noisily when he lifted them up. The first one that caught his attention was the ring with lots of keys. It came attatched with a set of flash cards which he pulled open to read.

Front door

…

Yu flipped over to the next card and read:

Yu's room

A small smile spread on the young man's face. It was his set of house keys. The key cards were placed and arranged in such a way that they likely represented which key was for what by order. He flipped through them some more and came to ne that said garage with a subtext of "by the stairs". It made him curious enough to take a look at a door that was set under the staircase. It had nagged at him what it was for, but now he could lay that thought to rest. Still, he wondered if his inference of the keys were right. He shrugged, now was probably as good a time as any to try his theory out.

A little past the telephone table was the door in question. It was a stark white in comparison to the gentle orange-brown of the entrance hall color scheme. A possible reminder of where it led to. In any other case, just a choice of aesthetics. Yu had to say he didn't really care as he slipped the key into the brass knob and lock. It filled the orifice seamlessly. An effortless turn and the telltale click told Yu that he was admitted to the correct room with the correct key.

He retrieved his key with the slightest of smiles before pushing the door open.

The room was dark, smelling havily of dirt and motor oil and gasoline. Narukami reached around the wall near the doorframe, feeling around for a switch. Another small click and his wish was granted. Fluorescent lights glared down from above the room. It showcased the massive space available to the owner of the house as well as the many vehicles inside. Yu counted 5 motorcycles and a car, but that only accounted for almost half the space of the garage. The rest was bare, save for tools and random odds and ends

In anycase, the young man was confident that this place was supposed to be some sort of business establishment rather than a home. Perhaps a hybrid building that could have supported both functions. But as it stood, his aunt turned the whole thing into her house with no exceptions. Considering how she lived here alone, the young man couldn't imagine how she had the money to afford all of this.

Yu shook his head to clear it of errant thoughts. This wasn't the time to question his aunt's bank account history, nor was it his place. He'd ask her about it when relevant, but for now...

Young Narukami held up the second key left in the envelope. It was a singular piece of metal hanging off the ring. The only thing accompanying it was a green keychain that reminded him of an oversized guitar pick. It was a deep emerald that sparkled to lighter greens like jade. There were letters engraved on it as an advertisement of some sort of company but he doubted those were important. Instead, Yu looked around the garage and saw a vehicle with the same color scheme as the keychain, a motorcycle.

It was a motorcycle, an actual motorcycle, unlike the one he had back in Yaso-Inaba. He approached the beastly machine with a sense of awe. His aunt's intentions were never specifically mentioned but somehow implied with the gesture of leaving him the keys. He wondered idly if she knew about his license and who she would have heard about it from.

One hand traced the line of the motorcycle, feeling out the gentle curves. One look at the exhaust and the engine and he already knew that his license couldn't cover for it. Not that he didn't attempt application for higher engine classes, but only those 18 and up could apply for anything above 400cc. Narukami was only 17.

This was against the law. Yu felt the bottom of his stomach inexplicably drop, painfully like he'd swallowed a rock or something. But that was nothing, nothing compared to the electricity coursing through his limbs, the pounding of his heart. He remembered when he got his license, how Uncle Dojima made him promise to not break any traffic laws and how much the older man trusted him to be responsible. This was just the exact opposite. He was getting a push, a rather mischievous one. Despite not spending any time with his aunt, his appreciation and understanding of her was growing.

He gave the bike a nice pat before pocketing the envelope full of cash. The smile on Narukami's face turned into a full blown grin.

"Let's go sight seeing."

The city was a lot less lively than he thought. Maybe it was still early. The sun had yet to set completely, and the skies were just stained red. Yu was fairly certain that streets tend to be brighter in the dead of night than right before. Still, it was weird for there to be so little to do. It was certainly no Shibuya or Shinjuku, but not even as busy as Okina? That was just pushing it.

Not like he had much attention to spare on such things though. Tuth be told, he was more focused on the steel beast rumbling between his legs. 750cc's is a lot more different from a 50cc than he thought. There was a lot of power and ofcourse that meant a lot of speed. Uncle Dojima's scooter could accelerate to a crazy hundred if he really tried, but with this one. Throttling this bad boy had him holding on for dear life at 160kph, and probably more had he not let go of the accelerator. Now as he cruised at an easy sixty with as little wrist flicking as possible, he was still getting used to the ride.

As said before, the streets were fairly loose, so even though he broke a clear traffic code by going too fast, there was no chance of an accident with other vehicles.

"But that's still odd.", Yu mumbled to himself as he continued on. This was the time of day when students normally headed home after blowing cash on an arcade. Maybe karaoke if they were picking up girls.

Yu stopped by at a park not far from the street he was at. Pulling in at the entrance, the young man took off his helmet for a quick breather. He was unused to a full helmet covering even his face. He'd only ever had one that covered the top of his skull. Fresh air was welcome as it blew on his sweat stained face. The young man undid one glove with his teeth to procure a celphone from his pocket. With one hand, he deftly activated a function he hadn't used in a long time.

GPS

Yu Narukami was lost.

As much as fear for his life at extreme speeds and maybe from the law for riding something way above his license grade, the young man had neglected to pay much attention to landmarks and street names. He remembered getting lost the first few times in Inaba as well, but all he coul rely on then was the map in his glove compartment. GPS wasn't very effective in rural areas.

It was around this time, when the teen was checkng between celphone and his surroundings, that he noticed two people. It was a lady and a child. They were happily holing hands while talking animatedly.

"Did you have fun today Kazuki?"

"I sure did mom! The teacher gave me this badge for taking good care of the rabbits!"

"That's nice dear.", the young woman pat the child's head."

"Mhm. What are we having for dinner today?"

"Well..."

It was an everyday scene one would see anywhere. But something about it set off Yu's senses. His mind was grinding its gears without him knowing why and his visions came back with a vengeance. Colors swarmed the pair walking past and for a second time stopped for him.

Static filled his vision and the pair changed. The woman was no longer a pleasant mother with a gentle smile but a vicious mask of a monster with a maddened grin. She was no longer holding the child's hand, instead it was a chain whose other end was wrapped around the little boy's eyes, ears, head and neck. Then static once more and everything went back to normal.

The lady looked pleasant again while the child no longer appeared like some kind of slave. The woman stole a glance in Narukami's direction and he couldn't help but tense up at the slight inspection. She gave him a warm smile and a bow as she continued conversing with her son.

Such a sight should have put Yu's heart at ease, and it did. But what he saw as he watched them go made him pay attention to the alarm bells going off in his head once again. Whatever nausea he was having before was cleanly blown away by the sight in front of him. The woman had bat like wings sticking out of her. Stick like appendages covered in sinewy leather. He lost sight of them once they rounded the corner, and he felt compelled to run after them.

Once he reached the corner, the pair were already gone. His stomach sank at the sudden disappearance. A bad feeling rose within him and it was all he could do to keep calm. He looked back down to his celphone with its GPS still active. He was properly oriented by now and the disgusting sick feeling welling up inside began to worsen when the device indicated that this path led to a nearby forest outside town. Something wasn't right.

Did he imagine them? Were they a trick of the fading daylight? Or maybe it was the visions again? But no, it couldn't be. The mother and the child were so real. That split second on the ther hand...

A guitar riff ripped through the tense atmosphere, taking Narukami by surprise when his phone vibrated in set intervals.. It was his celphone, playing Rise's last single. Someone was calling him.

He stared at the lit screen and selected the icon at the corner to see who was calling. No number was displayed, only the fact that someone was calling. His ringtone was half-way through the first verse when he pressed the "Accept" button. His hands barely kept from shaking as he brought it to his ear.

"Good evening."

It was a cool female voice, a familiar cool female voice. One that he knew well enough to calm him down just from the familiaity of it.

"Good evening.", he replied after a deep breath.

"You seem stressed."

The voce was slightly cheerful, imperceptible to most but him. It almost had an impish quality to it. In his mind's eye he could see tips of crimson lips curl up into the slightest of smiles. "I'm not sure.", he replied, "But I doubt you called me just to make small talk.".

Rich velvet laughter spilled from his phone's speaker.

"Indeed. I call now to see if you have come to a decision."

"A decision?", Narukami furrowed his brow.

"Will you look? Will you look away? You must make that decision now."

Confusion possessed Yu to shake his head, "I don't underst-"

"You do understand."

The voice interrupted him.

"You already have the most important thing. What remains is your decision. Will you look? Will you not look?"

"The most important thing?"

"The truth."

Stunned, Yu's eyes widened as the beginnings of understanding finally hit him. "Wai-", he tried to call out but the only thing that answered him was the hum of the dialtone. She'd hung up. It was unlike her to be so impolite. Then again, Yu thought that it would be even less like her to not do things cryptically and annoy the crap out of him.

He flipped his phone shut, letting the words sink in to him. He already had the most important thing, the truth. To look or to turn away, that was his decision. The young man who'd slain a god turned his eyes down the path of the disappeared pair.

Yu started up the bike and revved it up to a speed he still wasn't fully comfortable with. There was no time to worry about his own preferences. The sick feeling in him lurched and called for him to act fast. He pulled away from the park with a grim whisper, "There's no way I can look away.".

Following the street down its course was simple. It was a solitary road with none cossing over it. Just as Narukami suspected, it lead out of town. He made that conclusion when the trees lining either side began to grow dense. Their number had grown considerably, blocking out what little light could be gotten from the sun. It also helped that he'd just passed a sign saying that he was exiting the city proper.

Yu had no idea where this was going, but if the road went on anymore then night would fall before he would get there. That helped nothing with the painful churning in his gut. Thankfully, it didn't take that long for him to reach the end of the road. It lead straight to a large mansion, one that looked ancient as vines and greenery overran the rusty gates.

The teen parked his bike right in front of the gate. A quick look aound made him confident that nobody was likely to come around any time soon. The lack of vehicles in the driveway was enough indication for him. Once finished securing his aunt's bike, Yu pushed through the run down gates with ease that surprised him. He expected the thing to be rusted shut, but the way the hinge just swung open reasoned the place was either well maintained, or regularly used. Neither explanation calmed him.

Instead of dallying, Yu quickly crossed the threshold and into the house. It was a grand mansion on the inside as well as the outside. A thick layer of dust dulled the dying sunlight that filtered in through tiny cracks in grime caked windows. Yet all of that couldn't hide the majesty of the grand hall. Maybe in its prime, it would've been filled with splendor. It was a European style, as from what Yu noted. The owner was likely eccentric, but that was the owner then. What concerned Yu was the owner now.

"So when's dinner mom?"

"In a bit dear."

The voices of the mother and child from before echoed in the cavernous home.

"You've been saying that since we got home. I'm hungry!"

"I am too son. But you have to be patient. Dinner time will be here soon and dinner tastes best during dinner time."

There was something about the elder woman's voice saying "Dinner time", that completely put Yu on edge. He looked every which way to discern the source of the voice but nothing. The echoes were making things far too difficult to pick out a direction.

"Okaaaay", the boy's voice whined in resignation.

Yu piqued his ears at the very end and prayed that his senses were not playing tricks on him. The sounds seemed like they were coming from above, so up the stairs he climbed. He took them two steps at a time. He didn't bother stopping at the fancy landing, neither did he mind how his frantic footsteps were kicking up dust from the dirt caked carpet. All he paid attention to was the last vestiges of those voices.

He came upon a set of doors. It was big, probably the biggest in the house. Even the oaken double doors downstairs acting as the main entrance were no match in size. Yu placed both palms on either side, his breathing erratic from the sudden run he did. His heart was hammering and the feeling of sick in his stomach was going crazy. It wasn't a foreign feeling, he'd felt this way before. He took a deep breath and steadied himself for whatever was beind these doors. He pushed with a sense of familiarity as the air shifted. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. His body was shifting into a comfortably tense stance. It was familiar, but that was exactly why it bothered him.

There was barely any resistance. The doors slid open the second he put the slightest of his weight into it. It puzzled Yu, but that wasn't what truly confused him. When he opened the door, it led into a living room. It didn't look anything like the mansion. While the mansion was old and tarnished wealth, this living room screamed of new middle-class. It looked like one would expect from any household.

The sounds of humming and chopping vegetable floated in the air. Delicious smells beckoned to him from somewhere and it warmed Yu's heart with toughts of home for some reason or another. He stepped through the large portal and realized that he'd just walked out of a utility closet. It was odd, but he couldn't shake the feeling of lethargy that was suddenly overtaking him. It overrode the tension in his shoulders and even the churning in his stomach.

Like a puppet with its strings, Yu felt his body move of its own accord. Each limb moving lifelessly and sluggishly as it steered his blurry consciousness to the kitchen.

He saw the young boy seated at the table. He was the one humming. In his hand was a pencil and a number of books were laid out on the table. Narukami surmised that the boy was doing homework. By the kitchen sink was the woman, her back was faced towards him and her hands busy with the motions of chopping. The sounds of slicing vegetables came from her.

Yu wanted to open his mouth to begin his questions, but his body refused to obey. Instead, he automatically moved to take a seat across from the boy. "What're you doing kiddo?", Narukami asked with cheeky grin.

"Homework!", the boy replied answered loudly.

"Well that's rare. You're doing homework on your own.", Narukami lightly teased.

This isn't right.

"Nuh uh! I always do my homework!", the boy cried out in defense. "Mom said that she'd make me my favorite for dinner if I finish this up.".

"Your favorite? That's just omelette rice with ketchup."

"Is not!"

"Is too. I should know. I always make it for you when she's not around."

No. I never did any of that.

"Hmph. Maybe it is. You don't have to be so mean about it."

"Oh come on. I'm not being mean.", Yu reached out to tousle the boy's hair.

The boy whined in displeasure at the act but didn't pull away. He and Yu shared a grin before the boy proudly declared, "Mom picked me up after school today.".

Yu rolled his eyes, "She always does, doesn't she?".

"Not yesterday."

…

Everything fell silent. The sound of chopping vegetabe began to grow distant. The two words the boy spoke echoed in Yu's mind. "What're you talking about? Mom always picks you up.", the words tumbled out of Yu's mouth faster than he could even register speaking.

"But yesterday. Dad picked me up."

Something rippled.

"He came with the car so we didn't have to walk."

Another ripple.

"But we didn't go home. We went to the hospital."

something was beginning to crack.

"I asked dad if he was hurt. I wasn't hurt so I didn't know why we were going to the hospital.".

Yu began to hear a sharp buzz in his ear.

"Then he told me that we were going to see mom. She was in the hospital."

The buzz turned into an ear-splitting siren.

"When I saw her. She was wrapped in soft white tape like a mummy but she wasn't moving. The doohikies tied to her were all making this painful noise."

The sound of a flatline.

"Then dad told me. Mom was dead."

TAK!

A knife buried itself deep into a chopping board. The woman turned to the young men. Her smile was sweet as she spoke, "Don't listen to that no good father of yours. Mommy's right here. He just didn't want you to see me again.". Her voice was a soft coo, one that would normally be heard when saying something to a baby.

Yu's head hurt.

"Yeah!", the boy nodded with a frown. "Dad's a meanie. Mom's okay, she's not hurt at all.". The boy spread his arms out wide, "I love mom thiiiiiiiis much!".

"Only that much?"

No

"More!", the boy happily chirped.

No

"Then prove it."

Stop

"What should I do?"

You don't want this.

"Let mommy start dinner."

And it shattered. Everything shattered. The happy face of the boy, the homely looking kitchen, somehow even the smell of food and feel of home disappeared with a backlash that had Yu reeling. The table in front of him had morphed from a clean cheap table to a grand dinner table. Instead of books, he was looking at a list of names and addresses. Each one of them had something that was being written about them. The boy no longer looked like a happy child, instead he looked fish-eyed and brain dead. Drool was dripping out the corner of his lips and his hand was holding a pen.

The greatest change though, was the woman. She was no longer the kindly housewife that Yu had seen in the park. She was not even the same woman with the wings, chains and maddened smile. In her place was a woman with pale blue skin and even deeper blue hair. Her jaw dipped massively, suggesting a large mouth. Behind it were rows and rows of teeth. Her skin was lined with yellow tattoos in lines and accents running across her body. Behind her body were four blood red leather wings and a pitch black tail that ended in a trident. All these details he could see due to her unclothed body.

She calmly reached for the boy and Yu reacted by kicking away the chair opposite him under the table. The boy's chair slid back, out of the monster's reach. Yu slid back as well, but evacuated his chair to jump over the table and grab the boy all before the blue-skinned woman could attack.

"Hmmm... So you really did break out of my spell.".

The monster drawled with a sultry voice.

"What are you?", Yu questioned, while taking a step back. The catatonic boy was still in his arms. He was trying to be cautious because he didn't fully understand what he was dealing with yet.

It seemed the monster was quite as puzzled as he was too. "Oh my, does that mean you can see through my concealment too?", she smiled mischievously. "Naughty naughty. I'm not quite dressed for the occasion.", she mocked. Her narrow wings covered only the slightest bit of her bare breasts while her tail wrapped around her womanly bits. All of them quickly unwound with a crack of her tail on the floor, "Bad boys like you should be punished.".

"I asked you what you are!", Narukami took another step back. He had to buy more time.

A tip of that blue-haired head gave an impression of confusion greater than before. "Have you never heard of devils before?", the self-proclaimed devil questioned innocently. "What with the wings.", she flexed the bony appendages, "And the tail.", she flicked the trident tipped limb. "I thought it should've been pretty obvious.", she airily continued her speech. "Then again, humans are pretty dumb. Dangle a little bait and they come right to the slaughter.".

Yu's grip on the boy tightened. "What did you do?", he continued to interrogate. The thought of buying time no longer in the forefront of his mind. It was taking a back seat to anger now.

"That depends.", the devil smiled with equally blue lips. "I speak to humans and put images they want to see in their head. Slowly, I pull those images out into the real world and warp their perception of reality. This way, I turn the deepest wishes of their hearts' into reality. And in that state, they're nothing more than brainless sheep that can do nothing as I feed. Hmhmhmhmhm hahahahahaha.".

"Feed.", Yu tried the word. "Devil... Don't tell me!".

She smiled, "Seems you figured it out."

Yu's eyes were now as wide as they could go. Back in Inaba, he'd seen dead people before. He'd faced monsters that would have left him a corpse, maybe not even. However that was all speculation in his mind, not once had anyone been dealt such a dehumanizing fate. But this... this devil. This devil fed people false hopes and dreams, then she takes it all away by eating them. Flesh and blood.

"I do like'm young.", the blue devil traced her lips with her tongue and fingers. "The meat is so soft that I barely need to chew. It just melts in your mouth as that warm pulse pushes all the hot blood and juice to the back of your throat. Ah", she imagined, "The bones would've been soft enough to grind to bone with my teeth alone.".

She looked at Yu and suddenly her smile turned a little more playful and a little more sinister. "As for you. Oh. I would've had special plans.", the blue devil's hand went from her chest and snaked down past her waist. "It's been so long for me that anything would do, but you just happened to be cute.", she gasped as her taloned fingers dug deep into her nether regions. "I would've showed you the time of your life had you just went along.". The sound of wet squelching flesh began to fill the wide hall. "But you had to go and ruin it. NNNNNnnn!", she continued with rasping breaths. "You had to be a hero -huff- You had to go and break through my spell -huff-". Blood was trailing down her leg. "It's just too bad.", she cried out, "I couldn't use you for fu-Aaahhhhnnnn.", she finished with a high pitched scream.

Narukami looked away, his hand shielding the boy's unseeing eyes from the unsightly being before him.

"But this will have to do.", she giggled. "I think I'll eat the boy. Kill you, then use the body for some post dinner exercise. Kyahahahahahaha!".

Like hell she would.

Yu turned around in an attempt to run but the devil only laughed at his attempts.

"Uh uh uh. You don't want to run away from mommy now do you Kazuki?", the monster's voice was back to that kindly lady's again.

Like a toy that was switched on, the child in the teenager's arms came to life. The boy struggled, punched, kicked and did his best to gain freedom from the firm grip around him.

It was all the silver-haired teen could do to keep the boy from squirming out of his grasp without hurting the child, let alone run. In the end, he was forced down to one knee and used whatever limbs he could to hold the boy down.

"Trying to escape is pointless.", the demoness spoke. Her tones were airy and confident as she strode up with an arrogant gait, "That boy is completely under my spell. All I have to do is call oh so sweetly and little Kazuki here will run right back to his mother. Hmhmhm". The derisive giggles subsided before a wicked grin took its place. "Humans are so pathetic. Clinging on to such stupid hopes. Even a lie is comforting to them, they can't look at the truth and take it for what it is.".

The scant few meters between Yu and the devil were suddenly cut short in an instant. The slow steps belied great haste as the blue demoness grabbed the boy by his scalp. Yu was far too busy keeping the boy's struggles under control to do anything.

"You heard it didn't you? This boy knows that his mother is dead. And yet, the second I show him an illusion of her, he's so ready to embrace it. What else can it be but pathetic? Why should existences like you live on as anything other than prey? You're exactly like sheep. Dumb, useless sheep that's good for nothing else than to be slaughtered."

"That's not true."

The sun had completely set, and the moon was peeking between the clouds in the sky. Darkness enveloped the whole room and Yu's voice carried in the dark with a finality that belonged to a judge. He held the boy tightly and continued to speak, "People mourn, regret, and look away from the painful things in life. Whether it was something they did, something done to them or even if it's something that just happened, people will always want to look away.". Yu breathed in shakily, the expression on his face unknown even to him. His emotions swirled in empathy, anger and grief. "But.", he continued to speak, "People can only look away for so long. Some day they will face it. They will see the truth and face themselves.".

"And when will someday be?", the devil mocked, "A day? A hundred days? A thousand? A century?".

"I don't know.", the teenager shook his silver-head in the dark, "Maybe it'll be tomorrow, maybe it'll be on the day he dies, but that day will surely come.".

A hot hand grabbed the demoness' wrist in a vice grip.

"But until that day comes, I won't let anyone else decide.", strength flowed into Narukami as he tightened his grasp on the blue devil. "Whether he faces himself or not, in the end the choice has to be his!". His grip tightened with enough force to snap the demoness' arm, but she released the boy and pulled away before he could.

"Wh-what?"

A deep sense of dread and foreboding filled the blue devil, something was stirring inside of the silver-haired youth. Something powerful and ancient that pressed down on her, choking her very being.

"Sorry Kazuki.", Yu whispered to the struggling boy in his arms. "But big brother needs you to sleep for awhile.".

Kazuki turned his head to look at Yu. Like a mechanical marionette, he stiffly nodded before ceasing his struggles. Then as if his strings had been cut, he fell in the young man's arms.

The devil's eyes widened. "Shit!", she cursed. The silver-haired youth had commandeered her spell. "How did you know?", she hissed at the young man.

Yu turned an impassive gaze to her and shook his head. "I didn't.", came the honest reply.

"Lies! To be able to turn my own spell against me with such ease and confidence. You must have known.".

Another shake of the head was Yu's reply. He really didn't know. Much like with his aunt, his body just moved on its own. Unlike the time when the demoness had him under a spell, the loss of control was more natural, more personal.

He only knew enough to surmise that he had been given a role in that ideal image for the boy, the role of big brother. But he wasn't confident how big his influence was, perhaps it was just something cooked up by the blue devil so she could fit him in somehow. But that position wasn't fake. His interactions with the boy was proof enough. Kazuki probably did have an older brother around his age. The only question left was how much of an influence this brother was and how well he could use it.

Yu's enemy was a devil with the power to inflict illusions. Narukami couldn't say that none his personas were of the same type. Surely one of them knew what to do and would direct him in the best way to resolve it.

"I took a chance.", the young man confessed. "I really didn't know what to do. But even though I didn't.", he smiled, pointing to his own chest, "My heart does.".

That seemed to enrage the demoness as a horrifying scowl painted itself on inhuman features. "Impossible.", she hissed, "I can't accept such a foolish explanation. I can't accept your existence!".

Yu set the boy down on the floor. "And I can't forgive you.", the silver-haired teen muttered softly. "For using someone's pain as your nourishment.". He turned to her, his fists tightening in anger while his face was set in its own scowl. "I can't accept your existence either.".

The demoness launched herself at him. She hissed as her blue visage glided through the dark shadowy hall. Her claws were out and ready to shred. Yu answered back with an uppercut that dug into her guard. His fist clipping her in the chin before her claws could home in on him.

Yu pressed the temporary advantage. He neglected to appreciate the graceful recovery of the devil an instead, opted to throw another punch. She dodged, and threw him to the ground. She dropped on top, shoving the wind out of his lungs. Her claws tried to skewer him but he dodged each attempt. He grabbed her wrists in the last attempts and tried to throw her off. The blue devil's legs had locked around him though and the act only put him on top of her.

Though both hands were occupied, the demoness tried to bite at Narukami. He moved his head back to dodge the rapid snapping of her large jaw and retaliated with a headbutt the instant an opening presented itself.

Devils were fundamentally different from humans. By nature, devils were much more physically impressive species. Not only in terms of looks but also in function and performance. A devil's bones were hard as steel, their skin durable as textile body armor. The blow Narukami gave was strong, but the effect stunned him as well as his target.

The blue devil lost her grip on him while Narukami rolled away with hands on his forehead. He could barely hear her groan over the painful beats echoing in his head. The sound of his own voice felt so foreign as he doesn't remember screaming, but he is screaming. Something warm trickles down his face and it barely registers in his mind that it's blood.

Before he could process that information, something slammed into his flank and a painful burning sensation ripped into his chest. His vision was filled with skin the color of blue and he knew that he was at a disadvantage. Yu punched the woman in what he assumed to be the jaw and felt her flinch just a bit. No distance had grown between them and soon enough the counter attack came, twice as painful.

It was all like a blur. Shadows, darkness, blue, and faint lights from the night sky. Noises crashed and clanged in the cavernous hall. Narukami's beat up body was moving at a rapid pace. His feet moving at a blistering pace as he dodged, swerved and weaved under the unending assault of the devil in front of him.

Despite the pain, Narukami was moving well. His body was still used to this kind of punishment. After all, it was just yesterday that he had just defeated a goddess. But that was a different situation from now.

He screamed as he missed dodging a claw to his leg. Too preoccupied by the feint on his shoulder by the trident tail. But something was off. It hurt and it burned, but not so much. As said before, he was still used to the pain from his many battles in Inaba. But one key difference stood out. All the battles then were waged in the TV. It was only in that place where he could use his fantastical powers. And yet, he could feel strength pouring into his limbs. Speed and awareness that saved him time and again as he dodged blow for blow. His body continued to move despite the grave injuries he had amassed. His bones still whole after throwing them at something akin to a metal stature forged by old man Daidara. Speed, strength, endurance, stamina, all traits that should not have been able to stand up to something like this onslaught of blows he continued to evade.

As a normal human, he shouldn't be able to keep up with her like this.

I am thou

"What?", Yu jumped away from the one-sided exchange with a start. "Izanagi?", he whispered to himself.

And thou art I

The demoness growled, lunging claw first to continue her assault. She knew her stamina was better and would not give her opponent time to breathe. But that small break was not needed by the young man. In fact, his limbs grew lighter and stronger as this battle continued to rage.

Thine eyes are beginning to see

Frustration clouded the demoness' judgement as she allowed Yu to break away with one last strike. She was angry that her claws could land nothing more than glancing blows. A decisive strike was coming far too slowly for her liking. She spread her arms and opened her mouth. A ball of green energy gathered just above her chest and she screamed, "Eat this!".

The ball of green energy shot out into a brilliant beam of emerald. It headed right for Narukami who was just getting his footing back from landing. The beam slammed into him, sending him flying into a wall. The vaguest of shadows flickering in front of the young man as he zipped through the air.

The true face of this world

Yu landed on his knees with a cough. He dove to his right when another flash of green came his way.

Thou art beset with foes on all sides

Another beam came hurtling his way and a blue flame manifested in front of Narukami to take the blow for him. The aftershock of the hit blew him off balance, but he felt oddly drained for just taking the backlash.

Yet thou art blessed with allies from within

His breathing was ragged and his body was aching. Blood was seeping into his clothes and Yu could not shake off the exhaustion of having run a hundred miles. But still, he moved. He dodged when he felt the shadow of the demon wash over him.

Now call upon us, call upon the other self

Crimson talons dug deep into the stale carpet. The sharpness of the claws digging them deep into the wood underneath. Yu's wild roll landed his back against a table and his head against its edge. His sight flashed blue on impact.

Release us from the world within

His head still spinning, he was vaguely aware of the demoness getting free. She fired off another beam, and by luck he ducked before it could reach.

You need only see that the wall between does not exist

Wood exploded above his head in fabulous splinters. It sent him crashing to the floor beneath his person. His head was swimming and once more he could see blue light creep into the corners of his vision.

Thou hast the capacity

He opened his eyes, the muddled light in them turning lucid once more. He saw the finely detailed leg of the table that was blown to bits just now.

For thine eyes are...

For those eyes are...

He extended one hand, and grasped it with strength that did not belong in this world.

The eyes to the world!

Yu Narukami stood up. The demoness' next shot was completely ignored as it plowed into him. The blast strong enough to push him back but not hurl him off his feet. It was painful, but it didn't kill him. Yu was very aware of the power that was flowing inside him right now. It was a power that he always had, a power he thought never to take up once again after defeating the god-like being haunting people's hearts.

"Why won't you die!?", the blue devil screamed as she continued her barrage of green lasers.

All of them connected with Yu, but barely. A shadowy force seemed to manifest and disappear in an instant to buffer each attack.

The young man felt all the pain from each attack, but he never let it show beyond the odd grunt every other blow. "Izanagi.", he whispered as blue light began to shimmer ever so softly around him. The light luminescence throwing the illusion of moonlight focusing only on his being.

Impatience at its worst, the demoness screamed and charged. Just like her previous attempts at close quarters combat, she had grown frustrated with blasting the teen to no clear effect and opted to try hacking him to pieces once more.

Yu watched her come closer. The motion which should have taken less than a blink of his eyes occurred at a leisurely pace before his stormy gaze. His mouth twisted as they formed words, "Let's go.".

The stylized former table leg in Yu's hand lit up instantly. Electricity cackling around it with the glaring aura on both ends flared out like acetalene torches. The motion of the enemy before him stopped in his eyes. He took a low stance with both hands on his improvised sword.

"Cross slash.", he declared.

Like a signal, those words brought time back to its normal flow and the inhuman opponent flew at Narukami like a bullet.

He swung his sword at the moment she got in his range. Her claws reached out to him but the range of his sword's energy was greater. The strike caught the lady devil right below her solar plexus. A look of confusion was on her face as her senses tried to catch up with the critical damage her body sustained.

But it wasn't over yet. Yu stood tall and swung down his blade to dissipate its aura. In his free hand gathered flecks of blue light that materialized into a card.

He spared the horrified devil a glance before crushing the card in his palm. The sound of shattering glass resounded from above and the injured devil's gaze followed. Her throat tore at itself in a silent scream as she watched the shadow fall upon her. A single clean vertical strike ran perpendicular to the one Yu gave. Unlike the first, this second strike sent blood spraying into the air.

The young man watched impassively as the demoness finally screamed, a long painful note of agony. He watched until she fell to the floor in a dizzied heap. Her body no longer moving, not even the involuntary twitches of someone failing to move their limbs.

It was over.

Ascertaining that she was no longer a threat. Narukami walked away to retrieve the boy named Kazuki. He gathered up the boy in his arms, careful not to get his blood all over the innocent child.

"Why?.", the weak voice of the demoness sounded behind him. "I thought you couldn't forgive my existence. You had a clear strike. Why didn't you kill me?", she asked in her defeated tone.

Yu spared her a glance over his shoulder. The blood leaking down his face was falling down his brow and into his right eye. He winced slightly at the uncomfortable situation but resolved not to show weakness. "I said I couldn't forgive you, and that I couldn't accept your existence.", he began, "But that would make me no different from before.". He heaved a deep sigh, gathering his fading strength to continue, "I won't forgive you. Not yet, maybe never. But you're still a part of this world. Even if you're the worst part of it. Even if you're unforgivable. It doesn't change the fact that you're part of this world. Wanting to remove something just because it's an eyesore, closing my eyes to it instead of facing it head on. I don't want to do those things anymore. That's why I won't kill you.".

"I'll come back you know. I probably won't stop."

…

"But you'll probably be there to stop me won't you?"

Yu hesitated, his eyes unsure where to look. But they quickly regained their steel and locked them to the form of the fallen demon. He nodded wordlessly in response to her question.

"Strange child.", the demoness hummed to herself. "Go. I look forward to meeting you again in the future."

The young man took that as the end of their conversation and began to limp away.

The defeated demoness lay on the ground. Her own strength, not permitting her to stand, not even to sit up. She was thoroughly mortified at her defeat, not even allowed death at the hands of her conqueror. "Defeated by a human huh?", she drawled out as her eyes closed. She listened to the dragging footfalls grow ever distant as darkness took her under.

In another place, at another time, a young woman was fast asleep. Her voluptuous body was hidden under a thin sheet. Its thinness evident from how well it fit against her body with no indication of anything in between. The young lady snuggled deeply into it for warmth, her pale shoulder pink from the contrasting cold that permeated the night air. Her fiery mane was a stark crimson against the purple spread of the bed. The sound of her sighing voice, a small declaration of how much she enjoyed her slumber.

A bright crimson light flashed inside the room of soft purples. The sheer intensity of the temporary glare disturbing the red-head's sleep.

"Rias-sama.", a stern woman's voice called out to her.

The girl stirred but did not wake.

"Rias-sama.", the voice tried again.

"Mu-hmu-humu. Five more minutes.", the girl mumbled cutely as she tried to preserve her sleep.

…

"Rias-sama.", the woman attempted once again, this time accompanied by a pinch of the cheek.

"A-Ah!", the girl called Rias awoke with a start. Her mind still lethargic. Despite her good looks, signs of fatigue were beginning to show. Her skin was pale, not glowing, her eyes didn't have bags but instead they were dry looking. To a high-class devil like this girl, she looked utterly exhausted. "Oh. Grayfia-san. Forgive me for my unsightliness.", Rias fought down a yawn. "I have been busy scouting individuals for my peerage. Adding that in between my busy schedule has been... draining.".

"I understand Rias-sama.", the stern woman nodded. "More importantly, I've come to bring news. It is important.".

"News?", Rias furrowed her brow in confusion. She looked around and realized from the bright moon above that it was the middle of the night. News important enough to come at so late an hour? "What is it Grayfia-san?", the young woman questioned, now awakened by the possible gravity of this situation.

The woman named Grayfia nodded, "The stray devil Grannei is dead.".

"Grannei?", Rias' brows shot up to her uneven fringe. "That powerful stray devil? I can't believe it. Was it Sona? Or did the Church send someone?".

Grayfia repeated her silent nod, "She may not have been powerful in the grand scheme of things, but I doubt the Church could afford to send someone strong enough to defeat Grannei. That one was registered as a B class stray devil. But that was since her last sighting over twenty years ago.".

Rias nodded, "Indeed.". The young woman gathered her sheets abou her as she postured herself in a more comfortable thinking position. "All stray devils thus far have been known to act covertly so as not to draw attention to themselves. Grannei was recently reported to be active during the day. There's no telling how powerful she is to act with such arrogance.".

"Didn't you believe that she was merely overestimating herself?"

"Maybe so Grayfia-san. But she was powerful enough to seal all our attempts at surveillance. I doubt she is so weak if she can manage that.".

"Then if she is that powerful, we must be wary of the one who defeated her. Rias-sama. Please do not act rashly in the face of a situation as uncertain as this. It would trouble me greatly if Sirzechs-sama were to act out on your behalf.".

Rias watched in bemusement as the stern woman gave a half-hearted smile. One that was uncommon for her serious demeanor. The young woman shook her head and resigned herself with a smile, "I understand Grayfia-san. I will.".

The stern woman gave one last curtsie before she disappeared in a brilliant flash of crimson.

Rias watched the symbol of her family crest fade away into darkness. A beat and she gathered up the sheets around her naked body. She fetched herself a glass of water from the tray beside her beloved chess board. Her eyes locked onto the pitcher of water as she took small sips from her still water in it contrasting against her tumultous thoughts.

Grannei was her prey. It was someone who was worthy to be her target. Someone had taken her mark away in her territory. She had to know who.

In the darkness of the broken down mansion, a pair of crimson eyes opened. The crimson eyes of the blue demoness Grannei stared up at the blackness of the sealing above. Her wounds were not healed enough to even allow her a modicum of motion. The battle with Yu Narukami really did a number on her so she stayed put against her choice.

Slowly, she began to notice something. Something about the air was picking at her senses. Something intense and unpleasant. She swiveled her eyes around, the sensations prickling at her beginning to form a picture in her head.

A glint of silver in the corner of the room caught her attention. Silver hair. A maddened grin. A silver gun. Her crimson orbs widened in shock. "Yo-!"

Bang!

"Gyaaaaaaahhhhh!"

AUTHOR'S NOTES: To all those reading up to here, thank you. This is my first time writing something related to Highschool DxD. I've only ever watched the anime so please don't maim me when I get the mythos wrong. There's only so much second hand information and wikia can get me. Hopefully my rendition isn't too insulting for fans on either side. For everything else, please enjoy this little experiment I'm cooking up.

update note: Sorry. about the similar wording to the story of A demon amongst devils. I actually wrote it like that because I didn't want to be too wordy. The chapter's already a massive 13k words after all. But since it was offensive to some people I've decided to reword it. Hope that patches things up.