Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Mmm…”

The young man was waiting for someone. He was wearing strange looking almost alien armor. It was mostly green and gold with some red like on the visor. Far above his head was a metal ceiling with artificial lights that were off.

The ceiling didn’t seem to surprise him.

He turned his attention when he heard someone approaching. Nozomi was carrying a bag with a boxed lunch. She was a young girl with long braided silver hair and soft purple eyes. She wore a white dress shirt with a black bow and white skirt. Over that was a black blazer. Under her skirt was pale leggings and she wore black shoes. The one in the armor was Takumi.

“You don’t need to come out with me this late.”, Nozomi said.

“I know that but I want to. Besides if I got this gear from acting as a guard then I might as well use it to keep you safe. No one’s going to mess with us while I’m wearing this.”, Takumi explained.

“You really think someone would do something?”, Nozomi questioned.

“I just think it’s better to be safe than sorry. You’re not usually out this late.”, Takumi replied.

“Well, if it will get you out of that suit…”, Nozomi said in a joking manner.

“It’s really cool. They’re like something out of Halo or Doom.”, Takumi chuckled.

“I’m glad you’re very serious about your duty.”, Nozomi replied as they walked.

“I am serious. I just think this is cool.”, Takumi replied.

She was glad that Takumi was enjoying himself at least. The required service always worried her. It started at 17 and was very gender based with males always being made to act as fighters. The females got a choice at least. Personally she didn’t think that Takumi was suited for combat. Too kind…and too absentminded. Thinking about the scenario like one of his video games seemed to help him cope with it.

He kept a look out while they walked. She’ll admit that she felt safer knowing that he had a gun. Not to mention the night also felt quite off putting even with the defenses. It was just so dark. Takumi having flashlights on his helmet certainly helped them know where they were going.

The streets felt dead. It seemed like they were the only two people in the whole world as they walked together.

“So, what did you end up making for her?”, Takumi asked, alleviating the unsettling silence.

“I made spicy Onmoraki curry.”, Nozomi answered.

“I don’t see why people like spicy food.”, Takumi replied.

“It’s something you need to acquire a taste for. Kinda like coffee.”, Nozomi explained.

“I don’t like coffee either…It’s so bitter.”, Takumi replied.

“I know you have the palate of a little kid.”, Nozomi joked.

This made Takumi a bit flustered.

“It’s not that basic. I eat more adult foods like uhh…”, Takumi replied, sounding flustered.

“Maybe I could try making fish. That would be a lot healthier to eat.”, Nozomi suggested.

“Fish is pretty expensive though. I wouldn’t want you to spend that much on me.”, Takumi replied.

“It will be fine. Besides we’d be sharing it.”, she replied, hoping that’d sway him.

“Maybe…that’s the kind of food big shots eat. It’s probably so good.”, Takumi said, trying to imagine it.

If he rose up within the rankings he was thinking that maybe he could buy the fish for her to make. That sounded nice. He hadn’t really thought about it much till now, but he did have an opportunity to help them live more comfortable lives.

“Maybe we could even eat animal meat regularly. I probably will never be that good, but maybe I could get enough lucky breaks to get one or two raises.”, Takumi thought.

Thinking about it that way gave him some more motivation. He was looking forward to—

Slaaaaaaasssssssshh!

“Takumi!!!”, Nozomi cried out.

Takumi slowly looked down as power faded from his body. Something cut him. Blood was spilling from his body. His armor was ripped through like tissue paper.

Slash!

Slash!

Slash!

Pain exploded throughout every cell within him as cuts littered his body.

“Aaahhhhrrrffgggghhhhh……….”, Takumi cried out.

A pathetic cry exited his throat as he heard the sound of his own death. With it his mind slipped into a deep darkness.

…
…
…

His blood went flying through the air so fast that it hurt when it landed on her. The most sophisticated and powerful armor that humans have ever built was continuously reduced to mere paper compared to whatever hit Takumi. There was a massive gouge in his back and all over his body with the armor ripped open. Without warning more blood spattered everywhere. Cut after cut.

Her eyes widened with horror. Whatever was the source of it moved too fast for her to even see.

Clatter…

Takumi’s severed hand fell to the ground. His body was tense awkwardly like a broken marionette. There were massive cuts all over him. A camera moved over picking up what was happening.

Why did this have to happen?

Especially when they were so close to the hospital. Takumi’s hand that was still on was twitching in a very delayed reaction. His body fell down with a sickening thud. Blood poured from his body creating a pond of red. He was losing so much blood.

Maybe if she hurried—

His visor was cracked and his eyes looked hauntingly empty. However, she couldn’t think rationally right now. She tried to grab Takumi and move him. He was so close to the hospital. Even if it seemed hopeless she wanted to try to save him.

As she pulled she felt something sharp nearing her neck. She paled.

Swwwwiiiiiiiiinnnnnngggg!

Something stopped the attack aimed at her throat. Right after it did, Takumi's body was picked up by a coffin shaped drone. She started running after it with desperation.

“Takumi!”

Later…

Gradually Takumi’s mind arose from the darkness. Sweat poured from every pore. Within the cracks of his broken self he felt an unknown power seeping in. He breathed heavily as he shot up like he had a nightmare.

Special guns were trained on him cautiously. He hastily eased himself looking fearful. His face was finally visible now. He had red hair with a black highlight and blue eyes. His skin was oddly pale. Parts of his body looked mechanical. It was mostly from the neck down. Flesh was replaced with armor that was mainly black and bits of silver. Bits of an unknown red power pulsed through it like veins. His ears weren’t quite ears. They were black metallic and pointed almost looking like pointed ears combined with the wings of a plane with the bottom part being circular like headphones. On his chest was an Ouroboros symbol.

Takumi eased back into the table he had been pinned to. He was so stunned by what was going on that he didn’t notice that the restraints were torn off. Metal restraints. Nor that his body appeared to be mostly mechanical. The young man took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure why it felt so heavenly. Perhaps it’s because he thought that he’d drawn his last earlier. His eyes closed for a moment as he took it in. That unknown power flowed through his circuits.

“Finally...”, Takumi thought.

Unconsciously he balled up his hands testing their responsiveness. They were incredibly receptive. One wouldn’t have thought that he’d been torn asunder. He noted how they did so in a way that seemed off. His eyes widened when he noticed the mechanical joints and segments of his fingers. There was a small machine-like noise when he moved them.

“Is he stable?”, an unfamiliar voice asked.

“He seems to be now. Hey, how are you feeling, kid?”, another unfamiliar voice questioned.

“Didn’t I die…? How am I…? Am I a cyborg?”, Takumi questioned as he looked at his hands.

A man in a labcoat sweated nervously as he adjusted his glasses.

“We brought you back from the brink. Our drone got there quickly to recover you.”, who he assumed to be his doctor explained.

“I thought I was torn to bits.”, Takumi said.

“That’s the power of science, Mr. Sumino. We were able to rebuild you.”, that same voice said.

Takumi jumped and squealed as he saw what he thought was a demon. It looked like a small ghost mascot with a visible brain and heart. On its head was a fedora.

“Huh…? Wait, is that…the mascot of Future Foundation?!”, Takumi questioned as he tried to back away from the demon.

“There’s no need to fear. He isn’t a demon. He’s actually a robot.”, his doctor explained.

“That’s right. I am the marketable mascot of humanity’s future; Sirei!”, the robot said eagerly.

Takumi relaxed more as he exhaled.

“That’s a…”, Takumi was saying as his mind lingered.

Takumi was shaking looking extremely fearful. He remembered being torn apart clearly. The young man wasn’t even sure how they put him back together.

“You should relax for now. We had to hurry so that we could save you in time. We want to make sure that there’s no bugs.”, Sirei explained.

“What about Nozomi? Is she…?”, Takumi questioned, looking worried.

“She’s—“

Nozomi swung the door open.

“Nozomi!”, Takumi called out.

“I-It worked! You’re alive!”, Nozomi cried.

She looked absolutely horrible. Her hair was all messy along with her face. It seemed that she had been crying for a while. Nozomi ran over to him and hugged him.

“I’m so sorry! T-This happened because I didn’t say no…”, Nozomi apologized.

He puts his hand on her back and pats it.

“It’s not your fault. I wanted to go to protect you and keep you safe. T-This is a bit weird, but I’m glad that it was me and not you.”, Takumi assured.

“Y-You…you lost your body. I-I wasn’t sure that you would make it.”, Nozomi said as her hands trailed over his metallic body.

It was actually warm which was unexpected. The warmth was like that of a computer when it was on. Those in the room watched closely. Mostly on how Takumi was moving.

“Sorry, but we must check up on Sumino here. We need to make sure that he’s functioning properly.”, Sirei said.

“Oh…I’m sorry. I can’t stay with him at least?”, Nozomi replied.

“How about this? If you want you could be in charge of his maintenance. We are aware of your experience as your mother’s assistant. He’d probably be more comfortable if someone he’s familiar with handled it. You could be shown how to do it while we work on him.”, Sirei suggested.

Nozomi perked up at this. She looked so guilty about what occurred. This seemed to gain her interest.

“You don’t need to do that, Nozomi. This isn’t your fault.”, Takumi assured.

She shook her head no.

“I need to do this. I…I want to do something for you. You protected me and I want to help you. I’ve worked with my mother on these kinds of things.”, Nozomi replied, looking determined.

Takumi looked unsure. He didn’t want her to feel obligated to constantly care for him like that. However, judging by the look in her eyes she wasn’t going to change her mind. The teen leans back. So much happened so suddenly and it was a lot for his brain to process.

“Please don’t overdo it, Nozomi.”, Takumi said.

Nozomi gave a tearful nod and he watched her as she left.

“So, what exactly is going on with my body? You put my brain in this…robot?”, Takumi asked as Sirei waddled over to him.

Takumi’s body was slightly propped up by the operating table. Sirei got within his view.

“That’s about it.”, Sirei answered.

“Do I look human? I mean…”, Takumi looked nervously at his body.

It was vaguely human shaped and certainly mimicked the same functions, but wasn’t quite. Sirei pulled out a mirror for Takumi. He could clearly see his own face though. His hair used to be completely black…but was now mostly red leaving a small slither of black. His brown eyes became a vibrant blue with red rings including an extra smaller set. Any sort of imperfections with his face were gone instead everything was unblemished and perfectly smooth like a statue of the divine. Even his teeth were straight and white. He thinks there’s an extra bit of his hair just sticking up too.

It all had the side effect of making him more attractive. He guesses it’s not a complete loss…

“Huh…? I still kinda look like me. That’s really surprising.”, Takumi commented, sounding relieved.

His hand drifted over his face and hair. Yeah, it was completely perfect. He guesses that makes sense with a human-like robot. Whatever material made up his skin and hair felt astonishingly lifelike. He expected it to feel fake. His body also being warm at all was a surprise. He could feel the heat from his body coming from deep within his chest and in his head. It may have been his power source and processor.

“Well, you remember that form you signed, right?”, Sirei questioned.

Takumi nods.

“You consented to your body being used in the case of your death so something was already prepared. Thankfully because we had it you got to dodge death all together. Lucky you.”, Sirei explained.

“I never expected it to work out like this, but I’m glad I’m not dead.”, Takumi replied, though there was some concern.

Click!

He started to feel kinda sleepy which was weird considering he was a robot. The white screen that projected his pupils dulled. His eyelids started to lower.

“You can ask plenty more later. I believe it’s best we make sure you’re operating well. Wouldn’t want you to die again.”, Sirei said as Takumi faded out.

About a day later…

“Mmmmmm…”

His mind went back to what seemed like his own death. The sensation of getting cut into many bite- sized pieces…His body exploding with pain absolutely everywhere suddenly. It all hurt…It hurt…

Especially being casted into the dark.

Was that death?

Did he die for a few minutes? Takumi wasn’t sure how long you could stay dead for and still be revived. His time in the darkness felt so long though. Not even like days or months…

“Mmmmmm…”

Takumi drifted awake and with it his dream dissolved into nothingness. The restraints on the table were repaired and currently open. Slowly Takumi booted back up as he looked around.

“Good morning, soldier! You’re looking tuned and ready for combat testing. Hopefully your bloodlust has been properly charged.”, Sirei said as Takumi sat up.

“Do…do my parents know what happened?”, Takumi asked.

“They’ve been made aware of all of the relevant details of course. This is excluding anything classified. They know that a demon almost killed you and that you’re recovering.”, Sirei answered.

“Can I see them?”, Takumi asked.

“No can do right now. What you are currently is classified to the general public.”, Sirei replied.

“Classified?”, Takumi questioned, seeming uneased.

“That body of yours is an experimental anti-demon weapon. The most cutting edge of human technology. We can’t have word about that leaking just yet.”, Sirei explained.

Takumi seemed very uneasy by this. His body was a weapon that was government property. That certainly made him question how much autonomy he was allowed.

“Don’t worry it won’t be all work and no play. What’s going on right now is very important. Follow me, I'll explain everything.”, Sirei said, beckoning Takumi.

Takumi started following Sirei through the halls. He quickly realizes that he hasn’t actually been in here before.

“The demons aren’t the only issue humanity needs to worry about right now. You see the Earth itself has turned against us. More specifically it’s personification Gaia.”, Sirei explained.

Takumi looked stunned and horrified by this.

“Gaia…? Why does that name sound so familiar?”, Takumi thought as he put his hand over his mouth in contemplation.

“Hm? It’s quite troubling isn’t it? It was Gaia that gave birth to humanity and now she’s gone completely mad trying to destroy it. It’s all the fault of that damned despair cult in destroying the world. That’s what sent her over the edge.”, Sirei elaborated.

“Gaia…That name sounds familiar to me for some reason, but I don’t know where I heard it.”, Takumi said.

Sirei glances at him for a moment looking at his expression intently.

“Well, she is a figure from mythology. You probably heard about her at some point at school.”, Sirei replied, seeming brighter than he was just a few seconds ago.

“That’s probably it…”, Takumi accepted.

It felt like a bit more than that. There was something ebbing in his mind at the name Gaia. It
was urging him to remember the significance of that name.

“As you can imagine she poses a pretty big threat to the survivors of humanity. She’s been causing natural disasters outside and sending her most powerful children around to kill what is left of humanity. That’s why we need you. With that new body you have you uniquely have the power to save humanity.”, Sirei explained.

Takumi looked more than a little overwhelmed by this.

“But…why me? I’m just a normal high schooler. Why wouldn’t you choose a strong and experienced soldier for this kind of thing? I just don’t understand why I was chosen.”, Takumi questioned.

“There’s a very special reason for that. You see your power source is divine and with it could come the influence of such a being. We need someone who wouldn’t be too influenced by it. You’re a normal guy who wouldn’t do something crazy like say take over the world and become God or destroy the human race. You’re pretty grounded and have connections that aren’t on the battlefield. That’s important.”, Sirei answered.

“So, I got chosen because I’m normal. I guess that makes sense…I can’t really imagine myself going crazy with power. I just want my loved ones to be safe.”, Takumi replied.

“That’s just the kind of person we’re looking for. You know what’s important to keep safe. A lot of stronger soldiers tend to be a bit…unique. Either surviving due to being weird or becoming that way to survive. You don’t have to worry about that though.”, Sirei explained.

It made Takumi pause a bit. He was wanted when he was sure that someone else would be better. Sirei made sure to emphasize those parts.

“What do you mean by divine power?”, Takumi asked.

“You were infused with the power of a divine being. An evolution of our creation of demonic weapons. Usually those were more simple things like blades or guns but you’re much more complex. The power keeping you running comes from that being. It allows you to be capable of much more than a cyborg is capable of. You're what we call a Proto-Fiend.”, Sirei explained.

“What…? How is that possible?”, Takumi questioned.

“A lot of things become possible with science. Here we are.”, Sirei replied.

They entered a door to an area that looked similar to a gym, but was mostly empty and white. He would have never guessed that a room like this was in here. Takumi is brought to the center of the room and Sirei heads behind some sort of translucent force field. He caught sight of someone not in a labcoat watching him from behind there. A woman with long purple hair, red eyes, and glasses.

“We’re going to be testing your combat capabilities with some physical tests. You’ll want to know what you're doing to make sure you don’t face death. The best way to avoid that is for you to become familiar with your new abilities. We’ll be counting on you, Sumino.”, Sirei explained.

When he looked up at the elevated area with a field he saw that a lot of people were watching him which made him nervous.

“We’ll be summoning demons now.”, doctor B said.

Takumi quickly got into a fighting position. He looked surprised at the position his own body took. It seemed like an effective one which was strange because he was never particularly good at fighting. A machine pops out briefly and summons a horde of zombies.

“The demon summoning program…I never got far enough to ever get that.”, Takumi thought.

Only truly trusted and meritorious soldiers got the ability to summon demons.

Takumi feels unsure of how to approach as they all charge at him. Then, suddenly he feels his body tense. He didn’t understand how, but he suddenly felt like he could fight. Considering he was technically a robot, was something uploaded into him?

He didn’t have time to ponder this. His mind and body shifted as his eyes narrowed. Takumi felt something powerful pulsing with him. That may have been the source. Something within him made for killing…

Throb.

It came instinctively.

His chest pulsed violently. He gritted his teeth. Fire was pouring out of his body as his eyes became bloodshot.

“Arrrggggghhhhhrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”, Takumi cried out.

Power exploded from his body as his power surged. The demons recoiled from the heat and stumbled back wailing as they were set ablaze. His body was completely engulfed with fire. Takumi’s eyes glowed red.

As the flames cleared away scales like volcanic rock were revealed. It had several cracks as if it was cut apart. The darker parts on the arms, legs, and very middle of his body up to his neck had a red glow coming from the cracks. Jagged sharp points were on his shoulders like shoulder pads. His face looked demonic being covered in the same substance and his ears were pointed. On his head was a blade-like horn. In the center of his chest was a red pulsing core which looked like the center of a volcano. On his right arm was a massive black and red blade like that of a scythe. His eyes were glowing completely red and under them were deep red markings. He had menacing looking fangs and the face of a true demon. His body was extremely tall to the point where his head almost touched the extremely tall ceiling.

“KILL, KILL, KILL…”, he heard in his mind as his body tensed up.

His senses were completely focused on fighting the demons. Takumi didn’t understand it himself. Perhaps his body was acting on instinct to defend itself. An intense aggression and killing intent overcame him upon entering this demon looking form.

“I’m going to tear them apart...”, Takumi thought as his eyes glowed more vibrantly.

He found himself moving faster than anything he’s witnessed. There wasn’t a contest. Any zombies that weren’t instantly incinerated by his transformation got struck with a power that tore them in half like butter or reduced them to smears. His arm with the scythe attached did the cutting and his arm without it punched and crushed the demons with ease with the size difference alone.

Whenever his hand grabbed a demon to squeeze without much effort he made their eyes pop out and made their body pop like a water balloon. Their bones were no obstacle in this. You would think that they weren’t a factor if it wasn’t for the noise they gave off.

Crunch!

Snap!

The only ones that were able to make contact with him were ones that he grabbed himself. In mere seconds his body became drenched in blood. What remained of them was smeared all over the walls and floor.

More and more were summoned. Contrary to anything he would have normally thought numbers made no difference. Even as they covered half the room.

Takumi felt the heat in his chest increasing as the molten looking parts including his core glowed vibrantly. Those watching looked wide eyed as he built up the divine energy within him. He felt his mouth unhinging like a snake as fire billowed from his mouth. The entire area was lit up with a sea of red flames. All of them were incinerated all at once.

This cleared away even the remains of the demons he killed. This left him stunned. Once again he wasn’t sure how he knew how to do that. The skill he displayed didn’t even make sense to him. What’s more his body seemed to be rapidly adapting and improving his skill at a supernatural rate whenever he fought.

“Very good, Sumino!”, Sirei applauded.

Takumi struggled under these strange feelings affecting his mind. His hand massaged his head.

Throb.

Throb.

Throb.

It was scaring him. He sweated nervously as he tried to regain himself. Takumi thought about Nozomi and his parents. He clutched his head and tried to push down this influence in his mind. This led to him returning to his normal form and falling to his knees.

“What’s wrong?!”, doctor C questioned.

“M-My head felt weird…”, Takumi murmured.

“Don’t worry. It’s to be expected, Sumino. You’ll get used to it.”, Sirei assured.

Takumi wasn’t so sure. They recovered him and he felt himself laying back down.

“How are you feeling?”, Sirei asked.

“Really weird…It felt like I became a different person when I started fighting. It was scary.”, Takumi admitted.

“As I told you, you'll get used to it. It was what I mentioned before. A hardened soldier could get too caught up in that and could go crazy, but you’ll be fine. We have faith in you.”, Sirei replied.

“I-I guess…Umm is Nozomi training for that maintenance stuff right now?”, Takumi asked.

“That’s right.”, Sirei replied.

“Could I…maybe…have some of my clothes? I feel pretty naked like this.”, Takumi asked.

“Oh sure. That’s doable.”, Sirei replied.

In about an hour or so Takumi got his normal clothes from home. He quickly put them on. His choice of a hoodie and jeans very naturally covered most of his noticeably inhuman bits except his ears and hands. Though, his puffy sleeves slightly obscured his hands. Takumi felt more comfortable and almost normal.

“This all is a lot. I hope that I can protect everyone. It doesn’t seem like there’s much of a choice. It’s the only way to keep everyone safe.”, Takumi thought.

He poked around the building a bit in curiosity before drifting into sleep in his room. When he awoke next Nozomi was sitting at a chair next to his bed. It reminded him of that one time he got sick.

If only things were that simple.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Nozomi read his stats listed on a screen in the table. He seemed strong. She hoped that would be enough to keep him safe.

Level 15 Proto-Fiend Takumi
Skills:
Fang Breaker +9
Eat Whole +9
Agilao +9
Energy Drain
High Fire Pleroma

“Good morning, Nozomi. Umm did your mom get the dinner?”, Takumi said awkwardly.

She nods silently.

“So err I found out that I’m pretty strong now apparently. They’re saying that they need me to save the world. It sounds like a lot b—“, Takumi was saying.

Nozomi hugs Takumi tightly. She’s shaking.

“S-Sorry…How about we get breakfast? You’re probably hungry.”, Takumi suggested.

“Yeah…I was informed that you can eat and taste.”, Nozomi replied, quietly.

She seemed to be in an extremely dour mood. It didn’t seem like she would tell him anything right now. He took her hand into his making sure to be careful after becoming aware of his strength. Takumi led her around and her head was dipped. He sat her down and went off to get food.

Nozomi was taken off guard as not too long later Onmorkai egg rolls were placed before her. This was along with her favorite breakfast drink in oj.

“Oh thank you, Takky.”, Nozomi replied.

That helped confirm for her that nothing was wrong with him at least. She looked over to him as he sat down with very simple pancakes and Katakirauwa bacon. His drink was milk. It was all very Takumi. So, he does seem to not have an issue with remembering everything.

Takumi looked over to her as she enjoyed her egg rolls. They seemed to help even if it was just a little bit. She looked back over to him as he ate. He stumbled over cutting his own pancake as usual despite having them so often with him stuffing his face with pieces that varied wildly in size. This made the start of something like a chuckle bubble in her throat. Things almost seemed normal.

Nothing had changed, right?

Takumi was alright…

He’s himself.

When he accidentally knocked his own milk over that certainly felt familiar.

But then—

Takumi catches the carton with such quick reflexes that she’s never seen from him before. It’s returned back to normal so quickly that it’s like it never fell. If he noticed what he did he didn’t acknowledge it. He brings it up to his mouth and starts slurping on it trying to make sure that there’s nothing to spill. He drinks more between bites of his food. By the time he’s done he’s drunk every last drop of milk.

“I’m really glad I can taste things still. I never expected them to add a function like that.”, Takumi said.

“They said that considering this would be your new body permanently, that they wanted you to be capable of enjoying yourself.”, Nozomi explained.

“That’s nice of them.”, Takumi replied.

Takumi had no trouble with touch either. He could clearly feel the oil on his fingers from the bacon and wiped his hands. Briefly for a moment this made him wonder if he could still…

He blushed intensely at such thoughts. Either way he was pretty glad that this body was very human-like.

“Have you been okay?”, Nozomi asked as she enjoyed her food.

“This is all still pretty new to me. I’m just trying to get used to it I guess. They had me do a physical test.”, Takumi answered.

“How did you do?”, Nozomi asked.

“I think I did good. I killed a bunch of zombies. They usually make me especially queasy to fight but…that wasn’t really on my mind this time.”, Takumi explained.

“What do you mean?”, Nozomi questioned, trying to hide her concern.

“I don’t really know how to describe it, but when I was fighting I didn’t feel like me. Those things that are usually in my mind when fighting were just gone. I was just focused on killing them and didn’t pay much mind to what they used to be. I remember feeling really aggressive…especially as I entered some sort of battle mode. It spooked me and Sirei just said that ‘I’ll get used to it’.”, Takumi explained.

“Was something done to your head?”, Nozomi questioned as she got closer and extremely concerned.

“It feels like it…Sirei said that it’s because my power source is coming from some divine and it may mess with my head.”, Takumi replied.

“Have you felt anything else?”, Nozomi asked.

“Not when I’m not fighting really…I guess I had a feeling of recognition or maybe nostalgia though when I heard the name Gaia.”, Takumi answered.

“That’s strange. It must be the divine…”, Nozomi replied.

She didn’t want to say what she was really thinking. Part of her suspected that his brain was tinkered with to make him a more suitable weapon. And if that was the case it was entirely possible that they…

“No, I’m just overthinking things. It was just bad luck. They didn’t kill Takumi…They didn’t…”, Nozomi thought.

As much as she told herself this she couldn’t help, but think of how suspicious the timing was. Not to mention finding out what Takumi signed…It gave them permission to use his body. She shook her head not wanting to think about this. Nozomi decided to write it all off as a coincidence.

“It felt the strongest when I transformed…I don’t really understand how it works. It just seems to come naturally.”, Takumi explained.

“I heard that you could transform…This human form is for daily life and your divine form is for battle.”, Nozomi replied.

“Woah…you seem to know more than me.”, Takumi replied, looking dumbfounded.

“How much do you know?”, Nozomi asked.

“I can transform, become super strong, breathe fire, eat, and can still feel the things I touch. That’s about it.”, Takumi answered.

She pointed over to Takumi’s “ears”.

“Your ‘ears’ double as communicators and antennae to connect to you.”, Nozomi explained.

“So, that’s why they’re so tall.”, Takumi said as his hand trailed over one.

“Your eyes are scanners which can detect life and search for other things like injuries. Your brain is supported by a super computer that allows you to make advanced calculations quickly.”, Nozomi explained.

“So, that’s what that is…feels like I have the whole demon compendium in my head. Information just sorta pops into my head.”, Takumi replied.

“Your new body replicates a human one to a very extensive extent. The only thing you don’t really have is the need to get rid of waste. Also you don’t have to worry about bleeding out because you don’t have blood. They assured that you're not only durable, but you can survive damage that would normally be fatal otherwise.”, Nozomi explained.

Takumi looked stunned by all of this. It was a lot to take in. His cheeks were slightly flushed when one of his minor concerns was addressed. He was really worried that he couldn’t. He shouldn’t be thinking about that right now especially when the information about his survivability was much more important.

“Okay, so I definitely still feel that.”, Takumi thought, embarrassed at what he was thinking about.

Was it weird that he kinda wanted to test it?

This was not the time. That’s what he told himself. That a lot was happening and it wasn’t very important.

“Takky?”

Takumi was pretty close to her and awkwardly recoiled. She noticed how flustered he was.

“Is something wrong?”, Nozomi questioned.

He shook his head, too embarrassed to confess what he was thinking about.

“Come on. You can tell me anything you know that.”, Nozomi insisted.

She wasn’t letting this go. Takumi looked away and became redder.

“I-I was j-just thinking…a-about…if I c-could kiss…and feel the sensation of it.”, Takumi admitted, looking like he was about to explode.

This made Nozomi beet red.

“O-Oh…I-I’d assume so…”, Nozomi replied, awkwardly.

They looked away from each other practically steaming.

“That’s why I didn’t w-want to say it! It’s too embarrassing…My head is in the clouds. It’s not important compared to the other stuff.”, Takumi murmured out, extremely flustered.

“I-I wouldn’t say it’s unimportant…You did promise after all.”, Nozomi replied.

Takumi’s heart or perhaps core fluttered as he thought about the promise he made to Nozomi as a child. His promise to marry her. To protect her in her father’s place. He doesn’t think he’s done a good job at that recently, but that’s going to change.

“I’m glad you got away…What happened with that anyway?”, Takumi said.

“Someone saved me. I couldn’t see them, but they were really fast. After they distracted the demon I ran in after the drone that picked up your body.”, Nozomi explained.

Takumi dipped his head.

“I should have been more observant…I couldn’t protect you and went out in such a lame way.”, Takumi replied.

“It’s not your fault…You were distracted after we were talking and t-that thing was so fast and strong that it probably wouldn’t have made a difference if you were paying attention.”, Nozomi assured.

His gaze was focused on her with such strong emotion. There was a strong resolve in his eyes. This made his hands tremble.

“I-I want to keep you safe, Nozomi. I’m a bit less incompetent now. I’m sure it’s because I got some combat thing uploaded into me. With this power—I-I can make sure that I can protect you this time. I’ll become stronger.”, Takumi admitted.

Nozomi was taken back the intensity. It made her heart rate speed up. Takumi put her arms around her like she was the most special girl in all of the world. His arms were incredibly strong and reinforced with an unknown metal. She just sat on his arms and a lot of emotion slipped out. He had been just as concerned about her as she’s been about him.

“I’m going to keep you safe too…You don’t have to always carry the burden. If you get busted up I’ll fix you. I-I won’t lose you again…!”, Nozomi replied.

It was Takumi’s turn to be taken aback. He remembered how Nozomi had been pushing for that. She worried about him a lot, especially whenever he came home injured. She would stay by his side and fix him up.

They stayed there for a bit together. This helped both of them feel better and focus on their respective goals. For Takumi it was to get stronger to protect Nozomi and for Nozomi it was to learn everything she can to keep Takumi alive and working correctly.

They were being watched on the cameras by Sirei. It really wasn’t a lie that someone like Takumi was ideal. This confirmed it. Having such a strong connection to his humanity was good. His love for Nozomi would serve as ample motivation for protecting humanity and improvement. Love was quite a strong motivator after all.

And of course his love provided a very easy way to manipulate him should it be necessary. For Sirei this was quite ideal. Working on him meant that she would end up on the battlefield close to danger and would increase his motivation.

Everything with Takumi was going quite smoothly as they intended. He was very motivated and obedient as he continued combat testing. It was safe to say that Takumi was above the level of threats that were familiar with quite comfortably. Heck, his skills from his “divine sponsor” seemed to transfer to him rather seamlessly. Albeit most of the active skills were lesser versions of themselves. Honestly their biggest issue is that most demons they could freely control or summon didn’t pose much of a threat to Takumi so they couldn’t stress test him well at least not with the summonable demons they had.

“He’s working quite nicely. His body just needs to adjust to the power more so that he can draw more out.”, Sirei commented.

They watched Takumi cleave through hordes of demons with his blade with absolute ease. Against the non-human looking demons his blade became almost like a fang. It cut through the demons and devoured them. This rejuvenated Takumi and allowed him to keep training for extended periods of time. Takumi would usually spend hours training. For these tests in particular it was about helping him get used to his new body and controlling himself.

By a few days Takumi was fighting as naturally with his new body as if he had always had it. Takumi was becoming familiar with what he was capable of and started fighting rather efficiently. He felt like he was close to grasping something important to the way he fights. It felt like he just needed a push.

His level didn’t change much. It just barely went up by one.

For Takumi it was quite strange and a bit alarming how quickly his mind adjusted. After a few days his body didn’t seem so unnatural. He was working with it just fine. When the demons came, Takumi filled his mind with thoughts about his loved ones to make sure he didn't lose himself. It’s still difficult though…But he did get information about the demons which were pulled up in his head. Like said it’s like they uploaded the demonic compendium into his head which helped him a lot to know when to use certain attacks.

“KILL, TEAR, DEVOUR!”, Takumi tried to quiet such things within his mind.

Keyword tried. Sometimes he just couldn’t help himself. He found himself tearing the demons apart viciously like a mad dog. His overwhelming power surged chaotically within his body. It churned strongly within his mind.

It felt kinda good…

Takumi shook his head, not wanting to think like that. He tried to ignore whatever was the being at the back of his mind. It was extremely difficult. Thankfully he could show some restraint…He stopped himself from eating demons that looked too human.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure how much of it was HIM fighting or if he was simply a vessel…He certainly felt conscious while fighting, but he didn’t think too much when it came to determining his next move. It all seemed to come to him naturally like it was second nature.

This made him think to when he first used Eat Whole…They summoned food demons that round which made him really really hungry. Drool seeped from his mouth like a river. He felt like a wild animal.

“I-I—I must eat it whole…”, Takumi struggled to try to control his own thoughts.

He felt his body lunging forward. His hands grasped onto a horde of Katakirauwa tightly. There were purple pig demons. Takumi started imagining them as tiny moving pork buns.

It smelled so tasty…

His mouth opened wide and cooked the demons who screamed in horror. Takumi’s consciousness lingered on the edge of his brain. After cooking them the other demons looked absolutely horrified as his still unhinged mouth swallowed the demons in his massive hand all at once and they slid down his throat with ease. He heard muffled last pathetic screams as they were devoured.

This made a feeling of extreme satisfaction fill Takumi’s body.

His mind felt muted. It was terrifying. He couldn’t control himself as he ate more handfuls of them whole like they were some massive meal special. Compared to him they were so small that he didn’t need his mouth to be unhinged to eat them. All of them were thrown into his mouth like chicken nuggets. They seemed to taste better to him this way. Eaten whole and marinated in fear…

“W-What am I doing?”, Takumi questioned as he blinked rapidly.

He had come back to himself after eating all of the food demons. The fog over his mind started to clear.

“Very good, Sumino!”, Sirei applauded, from behind the barrier.

“Was I supposed to be doing that?!”, Takumi questioned, still in shock.

“Yup! Looks like it worked.”, Sirei replied.

“A warning would have been nice. What was that?”, Takumi questioned.

“A way to ease you into eating your demon enemies. It will be quite helpful on the battlefield when you’re running low on gas. Considering you can breathe fire you can even cook them too.”, Sirei explained.

“T-That was really scary…I didn’t feel like myself at all.”, Takumi admitted, he was breathing heavily from stress.

“It’s fine. You’ll get used to it. Just think of the demon enemies as very rambunctious meals that bite back.”, Sirei assured.

“That sounds sociopathic…”, Takumi commented as he sweat dropped.

Takumi returned to the present. He was cleaned and put his clothes back on. It made him more comfortable and helped him feel human after that. He could see that the doctors were taking notes. He hoped they were good. After testing Takumi tended to take a long nap.

He found that sleeping wasn’t entirely necessary, but it did help conserve energy which was encouraged. It was also just enjoyable for Takumi and helped him clear his thoughts. When he went asleep he could forget about all the things troubling him.

“I think he’s ready for a test in a real battle. I believe that’s the only way he’ll be pushed to unlock that power.”, doctor A said.

Sirei wasn’t too surprised by this. Takumi wasn’t quite ready, but the brass was really impatient to see what he could do.

“Good thing that I’ve received word from the scouts that a big enemy should be arriving today. We can introduce him to the others.”, Sirei replied.

Takumi took a nap for a few hours. In his room he at least had his portable game system from home as entertainment. His was a 3DS which he played a lot of popular games on. The teen mostly played Nintendo properties and shooters on it. He also did have a phone too but it was pretty retro. Most things looted in the apocalypse were necessities like phones. Game systems weren’t as targeted because they were assumed to be useless.

Eventually the enemy approached and five went out to confront it. They looked inhuman and stood in front of the human soldiers. The enemy was an absolutely massive red giant. With a wave of its hand the heavens themselves seemed to bend to his whim taking them aback. The normal soldiers especially looked horrified.

They were in an area where the sky was visible. Around them was sand and dilapidated buildings. The Residental District was surrounded by the ruins of what was once civilization. There seemed to be other domes far in the distance.

“I am an agent of Gaia…! The god of seasonal rains; Hyas! I-I have come to carry out judgment upon humanity for their actions against the great mother. It is her decree for you to perish.”, the red faint declared.

Lightning struck down at them from the heavens and the winds raged into fierce tornadoes. They shielded them from the lightning except for one of them who avoided it in fear only for the wind to cause trouble and blow them out of formation. One of them flinched and winced from the powerful wind. Cold winds brought ice that freezes their machines. Many men were frozen to death by the intensity of the cold. Not to mention with Hyas came a wave of demons.

“W-Who the hell does he think he is using so many elements?!”, the golden one questioned, stumbling from the attack.

He looked more human-like compared to Takumi. His body was covered in mostly gold armor reminiscent of some sort of Tokusatsu hero. His eyes were completely blue. He had white boots, gloves, and a tattered cape. His body was littered with purple war paint like that of ancient warriors. When he balled his hand into a fist it created a brilliant gold and silver hammer. He rode upon a golden flying divine chariot that looked borderline sci-fi.

Shaking off the very effective attack he rushed forward recklessly swinging around his hammer which cracked with lightning.

“Wait, Thor!”, an authoritative female voice warned.

She had long purple hair and her face was completely covered by a white horned mask. Her body was mostly covered in black scales. Over it was white armor lined with gold. This was accompanied by an absolutely majestic black and gold dress. The blacks of her dress reflected space. Her putting her hand in a knife shape conjured a divine axe.

The lightning rippled through the air with a horrifying sound lunging at the god like a serpent. Hyas guarded instinctively however his attack didn’t seem too effective. This left Thor shocked. Hyas prepared another wind attack. While he did so the woman took the opportunity to attack Hyas mid attack.

Hyas howled in pain as she landed a critical blow and drew blood from him. While you could see her expression judging by the satisfied noise she made she was definitely smirking. She didn’t waste time and kept attacking Hyas.

“Woah, H—Ishtar!”, Thor replied.

He grumbled at having to get saved. Thor charged back in to attack. The others focused on the hordes of demons. The one who shied away from the attack before tried to get the soldiers who were injured out of there while keeping demons away from them.

A metal helmet covered most of her head. Her body was mostly engulfed in silver armor. The parts not covered with metal looked almost wooden underneath. The bottom half of her face that was visible looked like a green mask. White hair spilled out from under her mask and around her head was a crown of flowers. She seemed to have joints like a wooden puppet, but that looked more sophisticated and modern. Her gold markings were somehow both traditional and sleek looking. Her feet had long deadly points at the end which punctured demons when she kicked. When she did so her leg moved forward and back like a piston.

When she was bringing people away the deadly points shifted to wheels which she glided on. Aided by a powerful wind she conjured, she brought soldiers to the medics.

Another female lunged at the demon hordes with reckless abandon snapping them up in her jaws. Her body was mostly covered with black scales and she had a peach underbelly. On her arms were what looked like alligator shaped bear traps which snapped up demons and devoured them. They seemed to be alive. They were extra heads. She herself had the head of an alligator and red eyes. She also had thick tail of an alligator with it and her back lined with spikes. There were spiked collars with chains on her neck, arms, and legs. She used these chains to reel demons in so she could gobble on them.

“T-Thank you so much, Brigid…”, soldier A thanked as she placed him down.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m glad you survived.”, Brigid replied before she went back out to get more people.

A demon almost hit the alligator girl in her recklessness. It was hit by a holy light which impacted it with great force. The demon cried out as light exploded from its every orphas and it faded into nothing.

“Be careful, Ammut.”, a soft spoken male said.

His body was covered with mainly blue robes with some white. He had a very long hat with a gold symbol. He had a big black belt. His arms and legs were black and looked demonic. Over his face was a traditional looking red demon mask with black markings and his ears were pointed. His eyes were completely golden. His sleeves were wide and stretched into bat-like wings. His hand formed an energy version of what looked like a wooden stick with kanji.

“Oh my hero. We should get to killing, Yama!”, Ammut said.

With a swipe of his flat stick both light and darkness enveloped hordes of demons. This made Ammut looked psyched. She charged at another horde of demons and tore them apart. Ammut would roar and run on all fours and sometimes standing up on two legs mid combat. Yama followed behind her. Soldiers and the demons under their command shot at the demonic hordes from a safe distance. This helped to minimize more casualties.

“Damn…I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how strong these guys are. I’m glad they’re on our side.”, soldier B said as he reloaded his gun.

A select few human soldiers got closer cautiously to deal with hordes they weren’t currently fighting. They deployed demonic looking weapons which seemed extremely effective at dealing with hordes. The demonic weapons were capable of hitting the demons with the elements they were weak to. Most of the soldiers only had normal futuristic guns to work with.

Hyas blew Ishtar back with wind to try to create some distance between him. He rushed away shaking the ground as he moved which tripped up those one time ground. Thor would have been fine if he wasn’t weak to wind. Another lightning bolt whistled past Hyas’ head before Thor was sent crashing down. He didn’t look so good.

Ishtar grimaced and looked between Hyas and Thor.

“Damn it…That’s what I was trying to warn you about. He has your weakness. You’re dead weight against him.”, Ishtar said, still trying to decide whether to go to Thor or attack Hyas.

At the hospital…

Takumi was awakened by the sound of the alarms blaring. This got him to shoot up. Sirei appeared before him soon after seeing how messy things were getting.

“One of Gaia’s servants is attacking so it’s time for your first real battle.”, Sirei said as Takumi turned towards him.

“Well, I’ve been in other fights before as a guard so it won’t be completely new. Where do I go?”, Takumi replied.

“Of course…You’ll head to the outside of the barrier surrounding the Akihabara Residential Complex. It will be a step into the outside world.”, Sirei explained.

Takumi’s eyes widened at this. He remembered how Nozomi would talk about wanting to see the outside world. Never did he imagine—

Speaking of Nozomi she ran in the same kind of armor he used to wear. A panel on it was pulled open making her face visible through reinforced glass. She had a strange looking gun in her hand. Strapped to her back was a normal rifle and she had a knife on her belt. Through the glass he could see that she didn’t look too hot.

“Nozomi? What are you...?”, Takumi questioned.

“Ah right. To hide what you are you’ll pretend to be a demon under her command. That’s how we hide you guys. Just so you know you’re going by the name Kronos, Sumino. That is the name of your divine. As far as anyone outside of a select few know, you are Kronos.”, Sirei explained.

Takumi froze at the name Kronos. His mind played the name in his head. It felt very familiar to him. The name triggered that ebbing feeling in his mind. Takumi supposed that it was coming from the divine Kronos. He felt like he hadn't heard that name in what felt like an eternity. Despite that he certainly reacted to it with familiarity.

“Wait, Nozomi, are you sure…? I don’t want you out there!”, Takumi argued.

“We need to go, Takumi. I’m not going to let you get hurt again either. Even if you don’t like it I’m going to be there with you. I’ll keep you alive!”, Nozomi retorted.

“Please don’t be stubborn…”, Takumi begged, looking extremely concerned for her.

“You’ve got to hurry. At this rate that thing might break in and start hurting people. You don’t want that blood on your hands.”, Sirei said.

“Damn…”, Takumi cursed, his hands were balled up and shaking.

He didn’t want to accept the idea of putting Nozomi in danger. Then, suddenly he felt arms wrap around him which made him flustered.

“You promised you’ll protect me right? So, I’ll be fine. There’s no need to worry then. I have faith in you, Takky.”, Nozomi assured as her hands drifted over her chest.

This really got to him. Oddly something about the word faith stirred something within him. He felt stronger as if invigorated by her words. Takumi was still really scared after failing before. Really scared. But, he didn’t want to let Nozomi down again. Not after she put her faith in him.

“R-Right…I’ll protect you…”, the words stumbled out nervously.

Takumi tried to psych himself up. This was his second chance. Everyone was counting on him. He couldn’t mess up again. He needed to save them. To break past his fear holding him back. His fear of failure. From within himself he pulled out that aggression. A terrifying drive within him. He needed to use this power to protect her.

“I WILL protect you, Nozomi! I’ll save our families! I’ll save the Residential District! I’ll save humanity!”, Takumi chanted with intensity as he psyched himself up.

“Exactly right! Now, get out of there and kill those demon scum! Bathe in their blood and devour their corpses! You are a champion of humanity! One of our greatest soldiers!”, Sirei joined in.

Takumi looked over to Nozomi. She looked relieved to see that he was letting her go and was more confident now. The two of them headed out.

They exited the hospital and everyone had gone into the shelters. He felt nervous at the idea of Nozomi seeing him in such a form, but it was necessary to keep her safe.

“Stand back for a moment.”, Takumi warned.

She looked confused before he made a decent distance between them before transforming. Instantly she understood why as flames exploded from his body. They looked so bright and powerful. When they cleared she saw that Takumi looked like a massive demon. She approximated that he’s around 15 meters tall. After he did so he approached her.

If she was being honest she was at least a little scared. But, she was able to bite down on his fear knowing that it was Takumi. He picked her up to carry her to the battlefield securely. Takumi was so fast that it took her off balance for a moment. He was actually going slower than usual for her sake. Right now he was moving at the speed of a speeding car.

On the battlefield…

Brigid sped towards Thor to recover him. This led to Hyas hurling a lightning bolt in her direction. Ishtar races over to save them both. As she did, Ammut bit Hyas’ foot which distracted him. He stumbled and tried stomping her. Ammut moved around and kept biting him in the same way as an alligator would shaking her head. She took massive chunks out of his feet. A harsh stop got her tail which pinned her down.

She sweated nervously as he violently stopped on her. Despite this she seemed to endure it quite well.

“Harder, daddy!”, she quipped.

Ammut tried to pull herself out from under his foot. Hyas realized that physical attacks weren’t doing too much damage and changed tactics. Suddenly, she found herself barraged on all sides by different elements of nature. He noticed how she winced and stiffed at ice.

Yama noticed this and tried to run over to her, but more hordes blocked his way. To get closer he had to clear them away. The others were currently preoccupied so he was the only one who could get too close. He swiped his stick trying to make his way over to her.

Brigid stiffened like a deer in headlights. The lightning was too close. Thankfully Ishtar pushed the two out of the way, but got grazed by the lightning. This made her wince in pain. Brigid went from relieved to worried as she saw Ishtar holding her arm. It twitched awkwardly, nerves put out of whack by the electric charge. This made her look horrified but Thor looked even worse at seeing it.

“F-Fuck…”, Thor cursed, before slamming his hand against the ground.

“Guys, help! Ammut! She needs help!”, Yama called out.

This made them instantly become alert again. Ishtar tried rushing over as fast as possible. Brigid looked over to see demons approaching and made the decision to grab Thor and bring him away.

“N-No…! Not me! Get Ammut! I’m fine ”, Thor yelled, sounding extremely stressed.

“You’re closer! What do you expect me to—errp…”, Brigid replied, looking like she was about to throw up.

She looked like she was on the brink of a panic attack. Brigid brought him by the soldiers and their demons so that she had someone covering her while she healed Thor. Afterwards Brigid rushed back to the field hoping she could get Ammut too.

Crack!

Brigid paled as she heard the thunderous shattering of ice. Ishtar’s eyes widened when she saw that Ammut had been frozen. After Hyas had done so he stomped on her again this time breaking her into pieces.

“Oh no…”, Yama grimaced.

“I’m going to kill you now.”, Ishtar declared with a death glare.

Her arm still twitched awkwardly. However she wasn’t the only one at a disadvantage. Ammut’s heel biting significantly crippled Hyas’ mobility. Hyas looked at his bleeding feet nervously. He tried to heal himself, but it wasn’t enough to fully repair the heavy damage. She was too caught up in the moment to feel the very fast tremors on the ground.

Suddenly Hyas paused as if his soul went cold.

“What…? What have you mortals done? Y-You revived him? That monster…The son that Gaia rejected! H-Her evil son; Kron—“

Ishtar had enough of his yapping and aimed an attack at him. However, it was delayed due to nerve issues. And because of that—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A thunderous boom rang out. The ground trembled slightly. Thankfully the Residential District was completely resistant to such damage.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Crack…

The Proto-Fiends had looks of disbelief as they saw Hyas’ face nearly get caved in. Blood spurted from him violently and his nose and cheek were busted. A shadow was cast over Hyas. What stood over him was twice his size. Nozomi looked on beside the soldiers who were agape at what they saw. Briefly she looked up at the endless blue sky with wonder before turning her attention back to the battle. Her eyes were as wide as saucers when she saw his strength for the first time.

It was Takumi.

“P-Protect…I’ll protect them…”, Takumi thought.

His fist hit first like a freight train. Hyas’ neck twitched awkwardly. It nearly snapped from the force of the titanic fist. His blade was incoming on his arm on the same arm that had sucker punched him. The god just barely dodged in time to avoid getting gutted like a fish.

Hyas stumbled backwards and fell trying to fix his neck back into place. Pain was exploding through his senses. Yama stared at Takumi…no Kronos with awe.

“Gaia’s son…H-He’s so...”, Yama thought.

Kronos certainly looked like something that spawned from the Earth. Thor was healed and got to his feet.

“A-Another one?!”, Thor questioned.

“No! He’s on our side!”, Nozomi shouted.

They all looked at her with disbelief, but it definitely looked that way. Hyas looked absolutely terrified and was backing away like he was facing a slasher. He was filled with so much panic that he ignored his pain and tried running. Doing so was extremely difficult with the damage he sustained making him stumble. Takumi approached him getting away from others before launching a titanic Agilao from his mouth.

Hyas screamed as he was eaten up by a storm of flames. It seemed to be particularly effective as his body burned away as easily as a candle. The flames consumed him whole. This left the others stunned.

“I won…I really won! Now, what do I do?”, Takumi thought, surprised that it didn’t take long.

Takumi turned around looking unsure of what to do. He guessed that he should turn back…Or maybe. Ishtar flew up to his eye level.

“You’re the new Proto-Fiend…You’re late.”, Ishtar said, not sounding amused.

Her tone would normally make Takumi shrivel up mentally and kill his enthusiasm. However, right now he was in that state…In which he didn’t take too kindly to her tone as he glared back at her.

“Such disrespect dies now.”, rippled through his brain.

This made his eyes flutter for a moment. He felt the power within him flooding his senses and dulling his thoughts. There was so much of it was overwhelming. Takumi tried focusing on thinking about the people he needed to protect as he always did to avoid being completely submerged.

“You’re welcome.”, Takumi? replied, simply as his voice echoed throughout.

His voice was absolutely terrifying. It sounded like the rumbling of a volcano. Not to mention this was the first time they were hearing him speak in this state. His equally unamused tone made many of the smart soldiers make a—strategic retreat. They didn’t want to get caught up in anything. The demons weren’t so smart. They tried attacking Kronos. It took a whole bunch swarming him with attacks for him to even notice.

When he did he just kicked them. With a simple kick those remaining demons were reduced to stains. They were like mere bugs to him.

“Takky…”, Nozomi murmured nervously.

She remained there but was concerned about the frightening look Takumi had. He didn’t sound like himself. This had been what he’d been talking to her about a few days ago.

“Why…Why didn’t you get here faster?! The crazy chick is dead!”, Thor questioned, angrily.

He fumed at him and Brigid held him back. Yama got closer to the Titan.

“I’m not psychic. I—eeeh…”, Takumi? replied, before massaging his head.

He tried to snap out of it. Maintaining himself in this form was always so difficult. It made being in this state extremely unpleasant. It was quite obvious for Ishtar now why they were still testing Takumi. Mentally he wasn’t ready for this. The teen lacked proper control over himself. There was a rumbling within his throat as he struggled to control himself.

“They must have not let him out yet because he can’t control it yet…”, Brigid said.

“I don’t give a damn! I’m going to kick his ass for talking like that!”, Thor replied.

Veins were visible on his form as he gritted his teeth.

“Don’t turn back just yet. People can’t know about you yet. These here are your fellow Proto-Fiends.”, he heard Sirei’s voice in his mind.

He narrowed his eyes. He was stuck in this form and quite annoyed. His nonexistent eyebrow was twitching. Takumi doesn’t know what’s wrong with him or why his aggression was maxed out. He looked down upon them from on high with a hate that wasn’t his own. Sirei hastily waved out the normal soldiers so that he could turn back. Ishtar seemed to recognize this aggression especially as Takumi snarled. His hand was removed from his head and his mind became foggy.

“You’re gods. Gods aren’t supposed to pray for salvation…You’re all pathetic.”, Takumi or more accurately Kronos said.

Thor looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel.

“Congratulations! And also our deepest condolences for err Ammut yeah that was her name! I’m proud to present our latest and greatest w—Proto-Fiend! The King of the Titans; Lord Kronos!”, Sirei introduced as he just popped out.

Somehow confetti just appeared and actual fireworks were shot into the sky.

When was this set up?!

He felt no need to make any sort of dramatic pose. Kronos just stood there staring into them with clear judgment. All of this just pissed off Thor more.

“You can turn back now…”, Sirei said slightly nervously.

Kronos gave him a look that made him nervous. They suddenly heard running that made them tense. It was a single female soldier.

“T-Takky, come back!”, Nozomi called out.

This sparked a reaction out of him. The fog in his mind started to clear from her. Takumi felt himself struggling with all he could. He shook as he reverted back to his “human” form. With the flash of a pillar of fire he shrunk down. Nozomi got closer while the others seemed wary. Takumi was hunched over sweating and panting. His hands were over his temples tightly.

This completely broke the illusion cast by his appearance and might. What was before them wasn’t the terrifying son of Gaia…Instead it was a teenage boy. One that had Kronos’ power and couldn’t control it well.

“N-N-Nozomi…”, the words stumbled out of his throat.

Nozomi helped him to his feet and he leaned on her. She rubbed circles along his back trying to help ease his pain in any way she could. The others turned back to normal. Ishtar was that woman from before. Thor was a tall dark skinned man with white hair. Brigid had the same skin tone and long white hair. Yama was a rather tall man had short silver hair, glasses and blue eyes.

“You’re such a wimp…Act like you’re a soldier not some untrained beast.”, Ishtar grumbled with an unbroken glare.

Nozomi got in front of him protectively.

“He’s trying his best. This is all still new to him. He just became like this a few days ago.”, Nozomi defended him.

Thor was still bristling. He definitely still wanted to hit him, but not when he was like this. Sirei gave Nozomi a thumbs up.

“Excellent job, Kirifuji. You brought him back.”, Sirei applauded.

“M-mmmmsorry…”, Takumi stumbled out, hardly sounding coherent.

“There’s no need to worry. You killed the boss after all. We just need some more training and tweaks to get you to where you need to be in terms of control.”, Sirei explained.

Click!

Takumi heard that in the back of his mind before he drifted into a slumber. He was taken back after his first real field test to iron out some…”bugs”.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

A day later…

Takumi relaxed within his slumber. It was always pleasant for him. When he awoke next he found himself propped on a comfy chair. It was extremely extravagant more than anything he’s ever laid on. This made it easy for Takumi to lean back and relax.

“Good morning, soldier!”, Sirei said.

He nearly jumped before noticing Sirei sitting across from him. The boy looked around to see gift wrapped boxes and food laid out for him. As soon as the smell was picked up by his nose his mouth started watering. Something else smelled pretty nice coming from a strange little container but in a different way. It was more pleasant than mouth watering.

“S-Sirei?! What is all of this?”, Takumi questioned, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Just some positive reinforcement for your good work. All of you are getting quite the offerings for your work.”, Sirei explained.

Takumi was taken aback by being handed some food by someone working there attentively. They noticed him fixated on it and handed him the food he wanted. He wasted no time digging into it. It was a beef bowl.

“This is really good. What do you mean by offering?”, Takumi said as he stuffed his face.

“Offerings are basically gifts. Thanks for all of your efforts. Perform well and you’ll receive plenty of more. Especially when you defeat that crazy bitch Gaia. You’ll be given anything your heart desires.”, Sirei explained.

Anything seemed a bit daunting. He sipped the exquisite drink he was given. It tasted absolutely heavenly as it slipped down his throat. This was all really nice but he wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted. Takumi put his hands together in contemplation as he looked down at the fanciest cup he’s ever seen. He was surrounded by more extravagance in this room then he has ever seen in his whole life.

Honestly, he didn’t feel super worthy of it. He wasn’t even completely sure that he was the one fighting. The power itself all came from Kronos. It made him feel bad and unworthy…He doesn’t feel like he’s done much.

“I don’t really know what I’d ask for. I just want my loved ones to be safe and happy.”, Takumi replied.

“You can have exactly that and more. Top security, cushy lives, you name it! It will be all yours.”, Sirei replied.

It all still sounded overwhelming. Takumi just enjoyed the food and drink. He was looking around for someone.

“Where’s Nozomi? Who’s that crazy girl that guy was talking about?”, Takumi asked.

“That little worker bee is hard at work trying to make sure she can protect you. It’s so sweet. Ah…young love.”, Sirei answered.

This made Takumi incredibly flustered.

“I-I-I…”, Takumi stampered as he heated up.

“As for the crazy girl that was Darumi. Unfortunately she got herself in a bad predicament and got killed by Hyas. But, not for nothing. She crippled his mobility which prevented him from escaping you.”, Sirei explained.

This made Takumi feel guilty.

“So…if I was faster she could have survived?”, Takumi questioned.

“There’s no need to blame yourself for it. That one was quite reckless. What happened to her is her own fault. Besides…it’s not like she’s dead for good. Everyone’s blowing a gasket for nothing.”, Sirei explained.

This left Takumi completely stunned. He wasn’t sure if he heard Sirei right. What did he mean not for good?

“Not for good? What are you talking about?”, Takumi questioned.

“You’re all the merging of human, technology, and the divine. Because of the last part, dying is just an inconvenience at worst. The issue is that we can’t exactly calculate this kind of thing. You see when deities die they never really stay dead. All they really need to come back is enough faith over an extended period of time. It also really depends on how much you want them back.”, Sirei explained.

“I don’t understand…We’re not really deities, right? We just have their power.”, Takumi replied.

“Sorta…think of it like this. Your body is filled to the brim with Lord Kronos’ essence. It’s what’s keeping you alive. This essence isn’t just separate from you though. It’s completely merged with you. Down to the soul.”, Sirei explained.

Takumi just looked stunned. He wasn’t entirely sure what that meant but it sounded like a big deal.

“Souls have been proven to be real, existing as a special part of you that persists after death. It is you. If your soul has fused with Kronos you basically are Kronos now. At the same time you're also Takumi. You can think of it like demon fusion. Your traits have combined together into the you that exists now.”, Sirei elaborated.

“I’ve merged with Kronos?! M-My soul…S-So I’m always going to be like this? Even after I die?”, Takumi questioned.

“It won’t be so bad. You can protect your little girlie and your family forever. Even after they die. You’ve got so much clout you could just take them from the afterlife whenever that happens.”, Sirei explained.

Takumi could hardly process this idea. It seemed quite frightening to him though. He was always going to have to try to keep himself under control.

“So, there’s also nothing for you to fear from Kronos. You are him now. This power is all yours. All you need to do is learn how to control it. And I know you can do it because it’s been tested. Other Proto-Fiends have gained complete control and you can do. You just need time. Then you’ll be able to do a lot of things you never thought possible.”, Sirei added.

“I’m Kronos…? I don’t even know who that guy is.”, Takumi thought.

“You could even restore Earth.”, Sirei brought forth.

This really got Takumi’s attention snapping him out of his contemplation.

“What did you say?!”, Takumi questioned.

“Lord Kronos is the son of Gaia. One she betrayed and abandoned into the depths of hell. He has the same power over nature that she has. That means with enough time and practice you can do what she does. That would do more than just save us. Humanity could repopulate the Earth. All of the wildlife could come back. You have that potential within you.”, Sirei explained.

The explanation felt familiar to Takumi. It stirred up a feeling of Deja vu within him. That explained those feelings he was having. He could hardly believe what he was hearing though. He didn’t realize he was that important.

He could save all life on the planet?!

“T-That’s a lot of pressure! I-I’m just…”, Takumi stampered clearly feeling overwhelmed.

“I…I’m just just Takumi Sumino…but that’s not true anymore somehow?! I’m this Kronos guy too?!”, Takumi thought.

When he really thought about it there was never a second voice in his head. It was his own voice influenced by these strange feelings he’d get. It may be a consequence of the merging happening. Their thoughts were becoming one and they were conflicting. That’s what he thought.

“It’s alright. Just relax. You know who you are. You know what you want. I’ve laid so much extravagance and temptation at your feet yet you remain modest. It’s proof that you can do it. You must simply make Lord Kronos Takumi Sumino.”, Sirei said in a more comforting tone as Takumi sat back.

He felt himself sinking into the comfort of the chair. His mind was just still trying to process everything. The weight of his new existence seemed almost unbearable. It reminded him of the quote “heavy is the head that wears the crown”. That’s how it felt for him. He couldn’t let this power get to his head either. Even now it terrified him.

Takumi was left alone for a while. He let the worker go and just attended to himself. He needed to be left alone with his thoughts. Sirei really had pushed a lot on him. It sounded like a lot was invested into him.

He was to decide…?

What he did with such power could change the world irrevocably. That was a terrifying thought. He didn’t trust himself enough to do what he should do.

What even was that exactly?

He guessed that it was to defeat Gaia and save the world. That seemed like the obvious answer. There was no need to think about it deeply…That’s what he told himself. It was easier that way. He preferred to listen to someone smarter.

Takumi holds up a fish dish he was given and stares at it.

With that he knew what to do next at least.

“Woah, this really is good!”, Nozomi said.

Takumi savored the unique taste of fish. It wasn’t quite like anything else.

“The fish as promised.”, Takumi replied.

“I never expected we would be eating it so soon. I didn’t really do much.”, Nozomi replied.

“That’s wrong. I wouldn’t have been confident enough to fight without you.”, Takumi assured.

“But, I held you up and…”, Nozomi replied as her head dipped.

“You couldn’t have known what was happening. You just wanted to help. I…”, Takumi said as he felt his emotions flaring up.

He REALLY wanted to protect her. Most of his strength to keep going came from when he thought about her. The way she made him feel…

Nozomi flushed as Takumi got closer to her. Their hearts were both beating so fast. The food was set aside. Takumi felt something inside him urging him to act upon his feelings.

“M-Make her mine…I must…”, he thought in his mind as he felt his own feelings heightened.

His core was beating so badly that he felt like it would burst. Those emotions he had tried to bury inside of him for so long felt so unbearable. It started after the merger with the things he admitted. The feelings he had felt so much stronger.

“I want her. I need her. No one else makes me feel this way. I-I almost died without ever even saying it.”, Takumi thought with a possessive gaze.

This made Nozomi more flustered as he got closer to her. He could hear how rapidly her heart was beating. The blood flowing through her body.

“T-Takky…?”, Nozomi questioned, confused as he got so close.

It almost looked like he was about to pounce on her like a starving demon.

“I-I-I-I-I-I-I love you…I really do.”, Takumi confessed taking her aback.

“W-What?!”, Nozomi questioned.

She always knew, but it felt so different for him to actually say it. He held her close to his chest like she was the most precious thing in the world. Her face got so much redder.

“T-Takumi? Takumi, are you okay?”, Nozomi questioned, a little frightened by the look in his eyes.

She felt like just a little mouse that could be eaten at any moment.

“I-I uhh I have just been thinking about everything a lot over the past few days. I realized that I never say that to you and I forget about plans…”, Takumi said.

To her he sounded almost delirious. For a while he had been quite distant with her with only small hints of affection here and there. Something changed between them as they got older. She wasn’t sure what it was. That’s when she remembered something.

“He’s fused with what is basically a powerful demon…When people fuse with demons their emotions are heightened. Is that happening to Takumi? He’s been much more forward lately…Has he felt this way for a while and has been keeping it in?”, Nozomi thought.

“I want to be better for you. I want you to know because I almost died before e-ever…”, Takumi continued.

She put her hand up.

“It’s okay, Takky. I understand. I know how you feel. I’ve never doubted you.”, Nozomi assured, trying to hide her nervousness.

Takumi’s eagerness seemed to wilt as he stared at her. It was like a bucket of cold water was poured on his head when he noticed.

“Are you scared of me…?”, Takumi questioned, failing to mask how extremely hurt he felt.

Nozomi almost flinched. She waved her hands in the air.

“No! No! That’s not it! I was just surprised. It’s fine really…I haven’t heard you talking that passionately since we were kids.”, Nozomi assured.

Takumi looked extremely relieved. That was really close. She could have easily pushed him into being distant again. His cheeks were really flushed. Not as much as hers but they were up there.

“I-I…I-I want…can we…?”, Takumi struggled to get the words out.

He leaned in closer again, slightly cautious this time. Takumi looked like he might burst into flames as he put his hand on her cheek. This made his core start pounding even more wildly. Nozomi was warming up herself as she crossed her legs.

“C-Can we kiss…?”, Takumi asked.

This made her shoulders ease. It was something that innocent…Where was her head at? Takumi’s eyes looked like a begging puppy dog. He seemed less terrifying and more cute now. It was getting really really hot for her especially in her normal attire.

“Yes…Yes, of course. I-I had been thinking about it when you…”, she trailed off.

They both became quiet as their faces inched closer. Then, nature just took over. Their lips touched, very surface level at first before the tongues came in. They became extremely passionate and steamy as they sucked each other’s lips and explored the inside of each other’s mouths. Their bodies pushed up against each other becoming very close. Neither could think clearly as they really got into it. Both of them got very disheveled.

By the end they were both exhausted and finished their food. Nozomi’s head laid on Takumi’s chest in that comfortable chair. They easily fell asleep. A few hours later they woke up and looked flustered as they took showers separately. They met back up on the roof and Takumi had on his clothes.

“This might sound like a random question, but do you know who Kronos is?”, Takumi asked.

“I know a little bit. The constellations are based on Greek mythology which is where Kronos comes from.”, Nozomi replied.

“I don’t understand…”, Takumi said, looking extremely clueless.

“Ah right you don’t…Beings like gods and demons seem to be created by human stories. What we think about them and how much we believe in them seems to affect them. That’s what we know at least. Logically speaking it should be impossible for all mythologies to be correct because they contradict each other. That’s part of why we believe that they’re formed from the thoughts of people.”, Nozomi explained.

“Uhh…”, he still looked clueless.

“Kronos is a character from a really old story and he was made real due to people believing in him. That’s all you really need to understand about how it works.”, Nozomi clarified.

“So he was fake and he became real…?”, Takumi questioned.

“We believe that’s the case for all of them.”, Nozomi replied.

That all sounded quite strange to Takumi who just nodded along.

“Sirei mentioned that Kronos is the son of Gaia and that she betrayed him.”, Takumi said.

Nozomi pressed her lips into a frown. She seemed troubled by something.

“What’s wrong?”, Takumi questioned.

“It’s just…Kronos is definitely a powerful figure so in terms of having your strength you're in a good position I think…”, Nozomi replied.

“And?”, Takumi questioned, dreading the answer.

“Kronos…isn’t exactly known for being a great figure.”, Nozomi answered.

This made Takumi nervous. She didn’t know that they were merged. He noticed how her gaze drifted off to the side as it would when she really didn’t want to tell him something.

“Kronos is known as the devourer of kin.”, Nozomi said.

“What?!”, Takumi gasped.

“It’s what he’s most known for…that being devouring his own children.”, Nozomi elaborated.

“What kind of monster is inside me?!”, Takumi questioned.

“It’s okay, Takky…! You’re not him.”, Nozomi assured.

“But, I LITERALLY am!”, Takumi mentally screamed.

“G-Go on…”, Takumi said, shakily.

“Are you sure?”, Nozomi questioned, genuinely concerned.

Takumi nodded reluctantly.

“That’s why Gaia betrayed him…because he started eating his own children in paranoia. He thought that they would overthrow him. However…it’s him doing that that led to him getting overthrown. His mother and wife conspired against him to save a child who led a rebellion. That child was Zeus. The supreme deity in the Hellenistic faith.”, Nozomi explained.

The name Zeus made him freeze up.

“Takky?”, Nozomi questioned becoming nervous again.

There was a very dangerous aura coming off Takumi. Just hearing that name made a hate beyond hatred rise within Takumi. He’s never felt like this before. What he felt was so intense that he felt like he was burning up inside from sheer rage. A rage that could transcend time and any length of suffering. This loathing completely overwhelmed his senses. Nozomi was terrified by that look on his eyes.

“Zeus…”, Takumi said that name like it was a curse.

“Killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill…! I need to kill him! I’ll kill him! Kill, kill, kill!”, as he thought this his eyes appeared red.

“T-Takumi!”, Nozomi grabbed his shoulders.

She was shaking trying to get Takumi to return back to normal. He was gritting his teeth. Her eyes…She was so worried about him. No one has ever felt that was about him before…

Takumi bristled.

He blinked rapidly and was sweating. The aura vanished gradually as he seemed to return back to normal. He massaged his head.

“I’m sorry…I don’t know what came over me. O-Or maybe I-I do I’m sorry…”, Takumi said.

“What happened?”, Nozomi questioned, extremely concerned.

“S-Sirei said that I’m fused with Kronos.”, Takumi answered.

This made dread rise up within the pit of her stomach.

“W-What?”, she questioned.

“I-I should have said something sooner…I-I didn’t want you to think—Sirei told me when I woke up t-today. He said that our souls have f-fused…That’s probably why I’ve been so weird…I didn’t know what was going on with me. My head is all messed up.”, Takumi explained.

“So it is like that…I thought something was off. I-I’m so sorry, Takumi…”, Nozomi apologized.

She was shaking thinking that he was like this because of her. This was something that could never be undone. Takumi was stuck like this forever. All after helping her…

“I told you it’s not your fault!”, Takumi yelled.

“Then, who’s is it?!”, Nozomi questioned.

“It’s mine!”, Takumi declared.

“You wouldn’t have been there without me! I put you in danger!”, Nozomi insisted.

“N-No! It’s my fault for being so weak and useless!”, Takumi argued.

“You’re not weak or useless! That thing was just too strong!”, Nozomi replied.

“I-I could have been more alert! I had a gun! I had a Demonica and still failed you!”, Takumi replied.

“You haven’t failed me, Takky. Is that what you think? That you’re a failure?”, Nozomi questioned.

“I AM a failure! I’m a loser! That should be obvious! I almost died failing every promise I made you! I was supposed to protect you! I’m supposed to be strong! I can’t fulfill promises, I can’t be a good son, I can’t pass basic classes, I could barely get by in the easiest service position—And I really did try…! I could barely beat even food demons after training every day…and the other guards just laughed at me! I’m not good at ANYTHING! T-That’s why I…”, Takumi snapped.

“That’s why you signed that slip?”, Nozomi questioned, dreading the answer.

She knew that Takumi’s self esteem was bad, but she didn’t realize it was this bad.

“Yes…That’s right. And I didn’t tell anyone because I knew they’d reject it.”, Takumi replied.

“You’re not eighteen…How did you..?”, Nozomi questioned.

“My parents hardly pay that much attention…I told my dad that it was a permission slip for school and he signed it without even reading it.”, Takumi explained.

Nozomi gasped. That was beyond negligent, but who would expect that their son would give them that?! It did truly speak to why he felt that way though. When she thinks back she remembered a lot of passing comments from them like when his mom said that she “always wanted a daughter”. She hadn’t put too much thought into it, but that must have really got to Takumi over time. She could remember what he said back to that too…”I must be such a disappointment to you.”. She thought it to be a joke, but it seemed to have been something more. Just…hearing that constantly.

Was that why he grew so distant over time?

He seemed pretty convinced that he could only pass through guessing or…Or—Oh God how did she not notice?! Nozomi felt like such a horrible friend or maybe girlfriend…

Takumi at least appeared a little happier when he became a guard. She honestly wasn’t sure how much of that was a performance and how much of it was genuine. Especially after how he just confessed that the others would make fun of him.

Takumi’s head was dipped.

“You shouldn’t feel bad…”, Takumi said as he clenched his fist.

Nozomi didn’t feel assured by this. She only felt more concerned about his mental state. Especially with the outside influence.

“I-I can finally be useful now…All that stuff is still definitely scary about Kronos and what he did. But, now this power is mine and all that talent he had too now. I can use it to protect you and everyone else. I was never going to amount to anything before…This is a good thing.”, Takumi continued as he tried to look confident and raised up his clenched fist for emphasis.

The look in his eyes wasn’t quite threatening, instead it looked determined. Yet still it horrified her. That’s how he thought?!

“You think that…? You could have gotten better, Takky. I was always there. I offered help.”, Nozomi questioned.

He was struck by her disappointed tone.

“And I still failed when I tried anyway…So, I eventually stopped trying. I scored better when I was guessing blindly. This isn’t even about this—It’s about—“, Takumi was saying.

“About keeping me safe?! Is that what this really is about?! You seem convinced that you couldn’t accomplish anything and just signed your life away!”, Nozomi snapped, which took his aback.

She was really angry.

“That’s not…No…I’m just making the best of a bad situation! I don’t want you to feel guilty about what happened to me!”, Takumi argued, struggling at it.

His lip quivered.

“It’s not like I wanted this to happen to me! I-It was just for if the worst happened…I-I just wanted to be able to help someone.”, Takumi continued.

“…”

“Please say something…”, Takumi’s voice quivered.

“I’m sorry…I’m a bad friend. I never noticed what you were going through or that it was this bad. I’m so oblivious…”, now she was crying too.

“I’m sorry for yelling…”, Takumi replied.

“I’m sorry too.”, Nozomi replied.

They sat there in a very awkward silence. Both felt ashamed for different reasons. Takumi couldn’t believe that he confessed his darkest thoughts to Nozomi. He could only imagine what she’s thinking. He thought that she must think he’s pathetic. Honestly, he wouldn’t disagree with that notion.

Takumi wasn’t sure what to say. He just felt like he was in the wrong.

“I really wanted to do it…”

Nozomi looked over to him.

“Before I got struck by that demon I was thinking that I wanted to improve. Even if just a little bit. So that I could get you nice things like fish. Maybe to get it every once in a while at least. I wasn’t doing great, but it was still new to me so there was hope…”, Takumi explained.

“Takumi…”

“And I’ve been training as hard as I can because I want to be better for you. To fulfill my promises…You’re the person I care about the most. I don’t want to let you down.”, Takumi elaborated.

Takumi was genuine with this. It’s what he really wanted. He just wanted to be better. To be good enough for Nozomi. This time she was hugging Takumi as the sun set. After his confession he felt quite dirty, but she didn’t shy away from him.

“I believe you, Takky. I know for sure that you’re trying. Sirei would mention how you’re trying so hard to become strong to protect me. That you would train for hours.”, Nozomi replied.

“He said the same about you with that maintenance stuff.”, Takumi replied.

“We’ll both do our best together.”, Nozomi said.

Takumi nodded.

To him she was absolutely sparkling. He wanted to be better for her no matter what. So that he could protect her and make her happy.

An unknown figure cloaked in darkness watched from afar before slinking away.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Takumi felt his eyes slowly creeping open. The only light around him came from flowing magma. Most couldn’t be around such heat, but it felt just right for him. It felt comforting. He felt himself being pushed upwards into a narrower and narrower area. All he saw above him was smoke. Out of it he emerged to see an endless blue sky. He felt unbelievably confused as he pushed himself out.

He had those molten black claws…

He was Kronos.

As he looked up he swore that the sky…the heavens looked down upon him. Kronos reached up to it with curiosity. It was extremely far away even with his height.

Rumble!

The sky darkened and seemed to grimace. This grimace was the loud and frightening sound of lightning. It surged through the sky as the clouds swirled menacingly. Lightning flashed with a threatening shot that blinded his vision. It didn’t touch him, but it was extremely close to his eyes. The storm became fiercer and fiercer as he tried to regain his vision.

“Abomination…You are not worthy of being my kin!”, a powerful voice like thunder rumbled throughout the entire heavens.

His eyes were wide in shock. He didn’t understand what was going on at all. Because for his part he was…literally just born. More lightning bolts rained down upon him and he stumbled around in fear and confusion. One struck him directly in the chest and he felt pain like no other. His movements seized up for a moment as his body was stunned and pain filled his body. He fell backwards back into the volcano from which he emerged.

Back into the darkness…

“W-Why…?”, Kronos questioned in immensurable pain.

That was his first impression of the outside world.

Rejection and spite…

He winced and clenched his burning chest. It created an opening within it exposing the magma within him. It was to scar…and to serve as a permanent reminder of what happened. No matter how much he mended himself the scar his father, the heavens gave him in its rejection of his existence would never vanish. That kind of wound would normally kill someone, but it didn’t kill him.

He couldn’t die after all.

Takumi awoke from his slumber in a cold sweat. He felt almost paralyzed as his hand lingered over his core. His gaze lowered down to it. He felt completely grid locked and his mind was in a frenzy.

What was that?

“Nobody wants me…”, that thought slipped through his mind.

That thought made him stiffen. It was something he felt keenly. But…it wasn’t true. Takumi knew that. Nozomi wanted him. Those in charge did too. He knew that but he was still shaking even though he knew it wasn’t true.

“I haven’t heard anything about my parents trying to force their way in…Not even a call. Do they care? Maybe they just don’t let them call like how they won’t let me call.”, Takumi thought.

Sometimes it seemed like it, but after the form he wasn’t so sure. It was sort of a test for if he really should. When it was signed without a care it made him feel that he was right. That he was on to something about not being worth his parents even paying attention.

He was pretty sure it wasn’t that bad though.

Takumi poured a glass of water for himself to drink. He wanted to clear his head of these thoughts as he chugged the water. Even it was much fresher than what he normally drank.

He looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was very disheveled. His hands clenched the sink.

“It’s me…”, he thought.

His “skin” was still caked in sweat.

“In spite of everything, I’m still me…Right?”

He felt very unsure. Takumi wasn’t quite sure who he was anymore. After the merging the answer wasn’t so simple.

“It’s the same face I see in the mirror every morning…But off.”, as he thought this sweat fell from his brow.

His gaze drifted to his more obviously mechanical hands briefly.

“I don’t know how to describe it…It’s like this reflection doesn’t ‘feel’ like me anymore. B-Because…it’s not me. It's similar but it’s not…”, as he thought this his gaze returned to where it was.

His hand trailed down his face. It felt like skin, but it wasn't. Something about the warmth that radiated from it didn’t feel the same. As the only part of him that looked truly human it felt like a mask he was wearing.

“Who are you…?”, Takumi questioned.

His voice grew increasingly unsure of himself.

This wasn’t his hair. These weren’t his eyes. Hair was one thing but his eyes…His eyes being so different was off putting. They seemed alien.

“You’re…I’m Takumi Sumino…Aren’t I?”, Takumi’s voice stumbled over itself as he stared at his own reflection.

Any imperfections had vanished. So perfect that it felt unnatural. Not a single blemish. His hair was so silky smooth that it could hardly be believed. Even when messy his hair didn’t become tangled. He wasn’t ugly or threatening enough to be rejected upon birth…His body was like one of those old statues, but capable of movement.

It was all so unnatural.

He didn’t feel like a person at all. He felt like a costume. This skin wasn’t his. It felt as if it could be peeled off. He felt like he didn’t naturally have skin like this at all…

“Is that what I am…? A costume?”, the thought crossed his mind.

Takumi touched his “skin”, but didn’t attempt to pull.

“Takumi Sumino is a costume…”, he thought.

He looked horrified at the intrusive thought that crossed his mind. His mind instantly denied its validity. Whether it was because he was sure of it or out of self preservation he wasn’t sure. Takumi didn’t know where these doubts were coming from. He knew the truth. He was sure of it.

“I-I’m Takumi Sumino. I’m Takumi Sumino. I’m Takumi Sumino. I am…I am…I’m the childhood friend of Nozomi Kirifuji who was nearly killed by a demon. Who promised to marry her. Incompetent and clumsily…that’s me.”, Takumi mentally assured himself.

He just needed to remember that. All of this weirdness was giving him strange thoughts. His brain was inside of this body. His soul…Well, it was definitely in there.

“I’m just getting freaked out over nothing. I know the truth. I’m Takumi Sumino. This is all Kronos. Our minds are just getting mixed up.”, he told himself mentally trying to completely blow it off.

He turned away the mirror.

“What am I doing…? This is stupid.”, Takumi murmured.

Right…it was stupid. That’s what he told himself. That he shouldn’t be doubting himself and just go back to sleep. Returning to his senses he laid back in bed. His hand drifted down to his chest. It was really warm. The indentation in his chest really looked like the scar. It was a little too perfectly shaped to look exactly like it, but it was really close. The way it went inwards was the same. It was in the same spot and had the same glow.

When he really looked at the messy glowing lines on parts of his body they looked like scars…They looked random, but were they? His fingers went near the glowing marking over his neck. It almost made him think his head could come off. Just imagining it sent a chill down his spine.

Takumi tried to ignore it and sleep. He threw his blanket over his head. Eventually he drifted back into sleep.

This time he saw his memory of that time when they were kids. Nozomi had just gotten out of that accident. She was crying about losing her father who saved her during the crash. He died. Not only that, but she believed that no one would want to marry a girl with such a scar.

Personally he didn’t think the scar on her stomach was that bad. He was more concerned about it hurting her than anything else. To him she was still quite cute and even if she wasn’t she was far too kind to be ignored.

“Then, I’ll be your daddy then. So you don’t have to be sad anymore.”, his past self’s line made him cringe.

“Takky, you’re too little to be a daddy.”, Nozomi chuckled.

His buffoonery at least accomplished getting her more focused on laughing at him rather than being sad. The younger Takumi seemed to realize at least a little bit about how stupid what he said was. Only a little bit…

“Well…then I’ll just marry you then. When we get older I’ll marry you, Nozomi. Then, I won’t be too little.”, young Takumi replied.

As cringe and embarrassing as he was, these memories made him feel a comforting warmth. He liked these memories so much more than his r—than Kronos’. Being cringe and a screw up was better than that. Anything was.

His mind slipped into those memories without resistance. He let them swallow him up. Happy memories…A kinder life.

“Forget them…Just forget them. All they do is hurt me. I just want to be wanted. I’m wanted now.”, he thought.

In his sleep his fusion seemed to have stabilized. This was detected by machines monitoring him. The power was harmonizing with his body. Seeing this made half asleep scientists suddenly spring to life.

“I-It’s working! Kr—Proto-Fiend 6 is stabilizing!”, scientist A said.

“That’s a relief. What happened?”, Sirei replied.

“It seems like after a few erratic bursts of emotions that he’s calmed down. The overwrite has almost fully gone through.”, scientist A explained.

“He must have realized that he’ll be happier this way. That being’s life was pretty horrible from start to finish. There was always the hope, but I never thought he would willingly give in. That means he’s ours now. No longer a figure of despair. From now on he’ll be our protector. Our hope. Make sure that spreads through public consciousness to lock it in.”, Sirei replied.

“Yes, Sir.”, scientist B replied as he nodded.

“Deities are just what we perceive them to be. We can change them. Make them to fit what we want. Making evil figures into good ones. Like the opposite of demonization. Like err lionization.”, Sirei explained.

When Takumi awoke he felt better. There was less tension in his mind, but he still had his own worries. Which included apologizing to his fellow Proto-Fiends. He’d have to find them first. First, he’d have to find out where they were exactly.

Before that he had breakfast with Nozomi. It was rather chill, surprisingly so after yesterday. Though there was…

“Please don’t keep something like that from me again, Takumi. If something is going on with you, please tell me.”, Nozomi whispered.

Takumi nodded, feeling bad for keeping her in the dark.

“I didn’t want to burden you with my problems…”, Takumi replied quietly.

“It’s not a burden.”, Nozomi replied.

He looked over to her slowly and just nodded. Honestly he wasn’t sure if he could keep that promise. They resumed their respective training. Takumi felt a little better mentally when he was fighting. Though, that aggression and bloodlust still lingered. He thinks that he at least won’t go off suddenly like yesterday…He wasn’t sure what got into him. It didn’t feel like he was the one talking.

Takumi thinks he’s starting to get used to these impulses though. It was a struggle but he tried to channel it. His attacks were stronger from the aggression and bloodlust he felt. Ishtar was watching him again. He noticed the others after her. He wasn’t sure what their real names were. This made apologizing easier if they’re here already.

The enemies became paste beneath him. It wasn’t hard. One attack from him easily hit multiple enemies because of his size. He tried to be efficient with it. Certain enemies seemed to be affected by his attacks differently. His blade could cover almost half of the massive room. Normally insurmountable crowds were cleared with ease. This didn’t leave them many places to run.

“Wow…he can hit so many of them at once.”, Brigid commented.

“It’s not surprising that he’d be so confident in his strength. This does line up very well with his mythology. Lord Kronos is renowned for his strength. It was said that he is the one who severed the heavens and Earth.”, Yama explained.

“I don’t care about that stuff. I’m just looking for a chance to punch him.”, Thor replied.

“You’re still planning that, Takemaru?!”, Brigid questioned, incredulously.

“Considering we’ll be working together it would be best to try to build bridges even if there is some bad blood.”, Yama suggested.

“That is true…But, I wouldn’t be adverse to some discipline. Just so he knows his place.”, Ishtar replied in a tone that made the others nervous.

Her expression seemed humorful, but her idea of humor was terrifying.

“Hah, Hiruko’s actually got my back here! No way am I just forgetting the shit he said!”, Takemaru said.

“It sounds like she wants to do it herself…”, Brigid replied, with a funny look.

“C-Comrades shouldn’t fight…”, Yama grimaced as he put his hand over his chest.

“Geez you act like someone died. You just need to want her back enough.”, Sirei said.

“Y-You say that like it’s so simple! We don’t know when she’ll come back and dying like that is still awful.”, Brigid replied.

“It’s better than the alternative.”, Sirei shrugs it off.

“You seem awfully unconcerned. We’re not exactly very replaceable and extremely expensive to produce. Is it safe to assume that you’re very confident about Kronos’ vessel?”, Hiruko questioned.

“Well, of course we can’t lose him. Kronos is well and truly immortal. A big part of his story is surviving being cut into pieces and requiring a seal to keep him contained.”, Sirei explained.

“H-He what?!”, Takemaru questioned.

“I haven’t told him that yet. Wouldn’t want him to slack on his training just because he can’t die.”, Sirei explained.

“And you’re certain of this capability?”, Hiruko questioned.

“That’s a pretty dangerous thing to try to test. But, I think so.”, Sirei replied.

“It’s also because he can control time, no? Kronos is heavily associated with it and was granted such abilities by more modern depictions of him.”, Yama surmised.

“What?!”, Brigid questioned.

“Yeah, but he hasn’t been able to unlock that ability yet. I think he needs a tough fight to awaken it or something.”, Sirei replied.

“So, he’s got two REALLY powerful abilities…that sound frankly terrifying in tandem.”, Brigid said.

“I’m pretty sure Zeus winning is a situation of ‘he won because the writer said so’. Theoretically he could be unbeatable which is really good for us.”, Sirei replied.

“Assuming that he can control time. That’s not guaranteed since it’s not a part of his original mythology.”, Hiruko replied.

“It’s definitely reassuring though.”, Brigid said.

“That’s also assuming that we can trust this guy.”, Takemaru added.

Takumi feels like he’s improving at controlling himself in this state. It may have been marginal but it was better than nothing. This strange thing was sorta starting to feel routine especially as he trained regularly with it.

“I just need to think of it as my power.”, Takumi thought.

He tried to keep that in mind as he fought focusing on the idea of making this power his.

“It’s mine. It’s mine. It’s mine. This is the power I’ll protect Nozomi with!”, he thought as he got riled up.

His power surged as he got emotional. A powerful slash of his blade absolutely cleaved through several demon hordes. This made the eyes of those watching widen. Those hordes weren’t too far off in level from Hyas. The strongest demons that could be thrown at him were reduced to stains on the walls at least until he decided to use Agilao and incinerate them.

Sirei looked quite satisfied as Takumi stood surrounded by the bodies of several enemies comparable to Hyas. Takemaru was left agape, starting to doubt his chances.

“Okay, that’s it for today.”, Sirei said.

With that Takumi returned back to his normal cyborg state. Any blood staining his body was burned away which didn’t seem to affect him much. He looks over himself just to make sure. Now, he has clothes just right outside the room for him to put on. The first thing he does is get dressed. It made him feel more comfortable and less…naked.

“Okay, so now what do I say to them? We really got off on a bad foot yesterday.”, Takumi thought.

He tried to think about it as he headed up there. Takumi tries not to look nervous and ends up very wound up. Slowly he opens the door praying that he won’t mess things up.

“Hey…uhh my name is Takumi Sumino. I’m sorry about yesterday. I’m not good at controlling myself in that big form. I’m trying to improve at that. I don’t think you’re pathetic and I’m sorry about that girl…Darumi.”, Takumi apologizing nearly instantly with a standing bow.

He ended up talking really fast and sounded extremely nervous.

“Woah, slow down a minute.”, Brigid said as she raised up her hands.

“Oh sorry.”, Takumi apologized.

They were really taken aback by the whiplash and personality. Takumi looked like a puppy especially compared to Kronos. He looked extremely anxious. Not in that way he's about to be punished and more in the way that he feels really bad.

“Anyway I’d like you to meet the deities of the Akihabara Residential Complex. I’m sure you heard of them.”, Sirei replied.

Some looked bashful unlike Hiruko who looked boastful. Takumi nodded, pretty amazed. He honestly hadn’t the time to pay much attention during the battle but he recognized them in hindsight.

“Yeah, they protect the complex from demons.”, Takumi said.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think that he’d join them. Not only did he not know it was possible, but he was never important enough to be stationed right outside. He was on the second layer of defense inside where hardly anything happened because of their efforts. So, they definitely indirectly saved his bacon before.

“This is a bit of a letdown. I was expecting more of a warrior after your performance yesterday. You just seem like a sopping wet puppy.”, Hiruko said in an amused tone.

Her tone made Takumi flinch. His shaking just made her chuckle in a chilling way. He wilts realizing that he might have made a worse bad impression than the first one.

“That explains a lot. You’re a doormat who gets dominated by your deity. That’s it, isn’t it?”, Hiruko went on.

“Y-You figured it out?!”, Takumi gasped.

“You’re not difficult to read. You ooze a lack of self confidence. You’re exactly the kind of person who would normally be offered as a vessel to a deity for your middling will and weak sense of self.”, Hiruko explained with absolute mercilessness.

Takumi’s floundering reaction told her all she needed to know about him. He struggled to come up with anything coherent to say back and tripped over his own words.

“I think that’s enough, Hiruko. We haven’t even introduced ourselves to him and you’re already giving him quite the verbal lashing. I’ll start. My name is Eito Aotsuki.”, Yama said.

He wanted to add more, but wanted to give the others a chance to introduce themselves first.

“My name’s Tsubasa Kawana. Everything is cool, we get what you’re going through and don’t let Hiruko scare you too badly.”, Brigid introduced, seeming the most friendly.

“Takemaru Yakushiji…”, Takemaru said, simply with a balled fist.

This made Takumi more than a little nervous not wanting to get his lights knocked out.

“I’m Hiruko Shizuhara, the leader.”, Hiruko did her own introduction.

“Nice to meet you…”, Takumi replied, awkwardly still shaken from his verbal lashing.

“I’m going to be honest, you really aren’t what I expected.”, Tsubasa admitted.

“I’d say that’s a good thing. That means we shouldn’t have too much issues getting along. So…Do you have any hobbies? What’s your zodiac sign? How about your favorite movie? Are you seeing anyone right now? What do your parents do for a living?”, Eito asked.

“One at a time…”, Takumi replied as he sweat dropped.

“Hobbies?”, Eito asked.

“I like playing video games mostly and sleeping in.”, Takumi answered.

“Zodiac sign?”, Eito asked.

“I dunno, my birthday is April 16.”, Takumi replied.

“That means you’re an Aries. It symbolizes new beginnings, confidence, and passion. I think it’s a good omen.”, Eito explained.

“I think you’re a little too eager…”, Tsubasa commented, with a funny look.

She may have had some suspicions on where he swung. Takemaru made his way closer which made Takumi nervous.

“You really didn’t mean the shit you said? That true?”, Takemaru questioned, he was very close.

“It is…I know that’s not worth much but I mean it. I really do feel bad about everything. I didn’t arrive earlier because I ended up arguing with someone.”, Takumi explained, looking rather genuine.

“An argument?”, Takemaru questioned.

“Someone close to me wanted to go there with me to help and we argued for a few minutes about it. I was being really stubborn because I didn’t want her to be in danger.”, Takumi elaborated.

“Who’s this?”, Eito questioned.

“The girl who ran up to me. She’s my childhood friend, but she’s also really smart so she works with her mom here. Her name’s Nozomi Kirifuji.”, Takumi explained.

“So, you were worried about a girl…”, this seemed to make Takemaru calm down.

“She’s never been in something like a fight before so even with a Demonica I was concerned.”, Takumi added.

Tsubasa looked sympathetic towards Eito at the implication that he had a girlfriend.

“Considering she’s capable and they already know each other she’s training for the position of performing maintenance on her boyfriend here. That’s also why she’s to pretend to be his summoner. She’ll already be on the field with him so might as well.”, Sirei included.

Takumi looked very flustered at this.

“W-We aren’t…I mean…”, Takumi stumbled over his words.

“I literally saw you two kiss! You got really into it too.”, Sirei replied, making Takumi more flustered.

“You were watching us?!”, Takumi gasped in horror.

“Just to see if cleaning that chair would be necessary.”, Sirei replied.

Takumi looked like he was about to spontaneously combust. His soul looked like it was about to leave his body in horror.

“You look like a peeled banana sitting out in the sun.”, Hiruko commented.

“Hrraaggghhhhh!!!!”

Takumi looked more horrified as Takemaru raised up his fist and…He punched himself?

“I can’t settle down unless I punch something. I was originally planning to punch you, but someone who protects women can’t be too bad. I feel better now.”, Takemaru said.

“Oh I see...”, Takumi replied, weirded out.

“Speaking of punching you’ll never test the limits of your power against rabble like this and it would be quite dangerous for you to become overconfident. I’ll correct that.”, Hiruko said.

“What do you mean by that?”, Takumi questioned, nervously.

“Isn’t it obvious? You’re so slow…It means we’ll have a little sparring match.”, Hiruko explained.

“But, I-I don’t want to hurt you!”, Takumi replied, genuinely concerned.

“I assure you that you should be worrying more about yourself than me. Now, get yourself ready.”, Hiruko said.

“R-Right now?”, Takumi questioned.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”, Hiruko replied, menacingly.

Takumi jumped and hastily nodded. They looked sympathetic towards the poor teen.

“It will be fine. She won’t kill ya. She likes doing this to every new member.”, Takemaru assured.

“That doesn’t make it any less horrifying…”, Tsubasa commented.

“I hope so…I’ll do my best.”, Takumi replied.

He hastily followed Hiruko’s demands without too much resistance. Takumi returned to the room he was just in earlier and took off his clothes. When he came out he was surprised to see that Hiruko was already there. Her mechanical body was black and gold. The gold parts looked almost like the kind of jewelry that royalty would wear. Some transparent parts looked like diamond shaped red gemstones. The gemstones glowed in a mysterious way pulsing with power. Her artificial ears formed what looked like a crown. Her form seemed more elegant than his especially with her curves.

“You are quite shameless…How long do you intend to stare at my body?”, Hiruko questioned.

Takumi jumped and looked flustered.

“T-That’s not it! I just haven’t seen another Proto-Fiend in this form…I was just wondering how different we look! I’m not a pervert I promise!”, Takumi replied extremely flustered.

“Umm hmm…I hope you’re prepared to defend yourself from your punishment.”, Hiruko replied in a unamused tone.

This made Takumi’s stomach dropped. She wasted no time and transformed. Takumi hastily did so after her. With a twirl of holy energy like that of a divine storm her cape fluttered out majestically. When it moved out of the way the rest of her form was revealed. Compared to his form hers looked quite holy.

“Ishtar is the Mesopotamian goddess of war so you’ll need to be real careful to avoid getting your butt kicked.”, Sirei said over the speaker.

Takumi tensed he tried to keep an eye on Hiruko but that seemed difficult as—

He found himself being blinded by a light that shone in his eyes. Hiruko had put her hands together and formed a bow of light which’s arrow burst into light temporarily compromising his vision. Takumi was covering his eyes, not sure where to hit.

He thinks that he could hear something…

“Gahhhh!!!!!!!”

Hiruko hit him in the gut with what felt like a blunt weapon. The kind made especially to deal with armor. He winced as it cracked his skin. The pain made his instincts flare up. Takumi started moving around really fast suddenly. He swore that he could hear Hiruko moving but it didn’t seem like he could hit her at all, at least from his perspective. His blows were getting decently close, but Hiruko dodged even the closest blows with a jaw dropping amount of skill and grace. After doing so she would inflict a devastating blow upon him.

“He’s doomed…”, Tsubasa commented.

Takumi growled. His frustration was spiking as his body warmed up. It was enough to make Hiruko sweat from the heat. If a normal person was Takumi’s opponent they would have been set on fire.

Without warning his first rocketed forward with even more impressive speed especially with his size. Hiruko winced. He could feel her body against his fist. His vision was starting to clear up. Hiruko tried to divert the damage which was difficult because his fist was bigger than her body and coming with overwhelming force. Her armor became cracked from the blow.

“W-Woah…that was just one hit! But, Hiruko’s crazy strong!”, Takemaru gasped.

“That’s true but Ishtar is the goddess of heaven…In Kronos’ mythology he defeated the incarnation of heaven itself. His scythe permanently dismembered the heavens.”, Eito replied.

“Woah what?! Doesn’t that mean Hiruko is in danger right now?!”, Takemaru questioned.

“Nah, he’s a softie. He won’t kill her.”, Sirei assured.

Hiruko was so focused on diverting the fist that it never stopped and she got slammed into the wall by it. A massive crack was created in the reinforced room. As soon as she was free she glared at him and ran up his arm. Takumi could see clearly again as he opened his eyes. Quickly Hiruko brought out her bow to blind him again. Takumi almost used Agilao instinctively, but hesitated. This allowed her the time to draw her quiver back.

That’s when Takumi thought of something he moved his arm she was on down to make her miss. This made her arrow hit the ceiling and she fell. In concern Takumi caught Hiruko. She was within his fist. The others looked wary as they saw this. Takumi held back the urge to crush her within his grip.

“You…okay?”, Takumi asked, struggling to get the words out.

This form’s urges made him want to say something else. Hiruko gave him a look that he couldn’t quite decipher completely but she didn’t seem too concerned. Takumi winces as he feels something stab his hand holding her.

The source was an axe of light that left light lashes on his hands. He lost sight of Hiruko after recoiling in pain and letting go of her. Takumi searched around for where Hiruko was.

“Aggggghhhhhh…..!”

He felt extreme pain in his neck.

Then everything went back…

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Slowly he returned to consciousness. It seemed dark until he felt himself be moved. That’s when he saw the light. Hiruko was in front of him untransformed. Takumi looked extremely confused. Something felt weird but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

Was Hiruko always this tall?

W-Wait was he in her arms?!

Takumi blushed and stumbled. At least he thought he did. He certainly felt it but heard his body clattering against the ground. It appeared that he was back to his normal form considering his size. But he hadn’t moved, he didn't think so. He heard Hiruko chuckle at his expense. Slowly he looked down at it and hit him.

“W-Where’s my body?!”, Takumi questioned in horror.

Tsubasa hurled in the background and the others looked stunned besides Hiruko who looked quite amused. Sirei looked like he nearly had a heart attack. He tried to look over and Hiruko turned his head around. His body from the neck down was stumbling around like a chicken with its head cut off as he was trying to move it.

“Guess she didn’t want to wait to find out if he is immortal later…”, Sirei commented, looking like he nearly had a heart attack.

“W-What the hell?! How am I still alive?! M-My body…”, Takumi questioned.

He could still feel it as he moved his fingers even without his head being attached. His body pushed itself up and it felt so surreal. He was looking at his own body from the outside.

“H-How’s he talking as just a head?! His body is moving too!”, Takemaru questioned.

“Honestly I’m not quite sure myself...I wouldn’t think that his body could move without his head but he’s not exactly human so…I don’t think we can apply the rules of human anatomy here.”, Eito replied, stunned.

“Well, that confirms that you’re immortal. But, that doesn’t mean you’re invincible. Hehe…I can think of a number of things to do with your head. Burying it for your headless body to stumble around to find. Maybe it would make a great volleyball.”, Hiruko replied in an amused tone.

This made Takumi squeal. He looked extremely fearful.

“You’re way too easy. I’m messing with you.”, Hiruko teased.

“H-How am I supposed to know that?!”, Takumi questioned in a panic.

She turned his head towards him again making it really hard to tell where his body was. It got closer and he heard it stumble.

“It does well to get my lesson here across. Don’t let your guard down and don’t show your enemy mercy. It doesn’t matter if they’re crying or begging. Demons are not to be trusted. They will use your emotions against you to pull one over on you.”, Hiruko said.

She got more serious.

“What would you have done if I was an enemy? If an enemy caught you unaware and took your head they would do much worse than lighthearted pranks.”, Hiruko questioned.

“W-Well I…”, Takumi stampered in horror.

“You’ll have to be very careful, Takumi. If the enemy were to disassemble you like a Lego set you would never even receive the release of death. You’d just be stuck. Do you understand that?”, Hiruko explained.

“Y-Yes…”, Takumi replied, fearfully still in panic.

“Good. I hope this lesson was enough to make you understand how you should handle yourself in a battle.”, Hiruko replied.

His body got back onto his feet and Hiruko gave him his head. Takumi still felt quite disoriented as he tried to put his head back on. It was difficult considering he could only see his body while he was facing the opposite way he needed his head to be. It took about a solid minute of struggling and placing his head in the wrong place before he got in on right. Takumi was left quite shaken from getting decapitated.

“Good boy. At least you’re competent enough to put yourself back together. Now, heed my words so that you don’t need to do that again.”, Hiruko said.

Takumi shuttered and just nodded. He was absolutely terrified. Hiruko just seemed amused at his expense.

“Next time you lose to me you’re going to have to take your head back yourself.”, she said as a final thing.

He thinks that’s her way of providing motivation for him. Takumi hastily nods.

“I-I need to be more careful…”, Takumi thought, looking like he was going to have a heart attack if he physically could.

Afterwards Takumi got dressed again. His hand lingers over his neck. It was like he was never decapitated. Takumi had no idea how he healed like that. Then he noticed that he felt hungry.

“So…I used my energy to heal like that? I think so…That must be why I’m hungry. There’s limits to this thing.”, Takumi thought as he looked down at his body.

This made him realize that he didn’t really get very hurt at all while training if at all. That must have been why he hadn't noticed. Something like losing his head and the other injuries Hiruko inflicted took a lot of energy to heal in contrast. Those injuries had been healed too.

“I keep learning new things about this body. So, I’m immortal but I need energy to heal myself. It doesn’t quite work like that one game. It’s a good thing I sleep a lot. That should help conserve some. I never thought I’d be thinking like this. It’s all so…technical. But, if it’s to stop someone from taking me apart like a Lego set I’ll need to.”, Takumi thought.

Hiruko revealed some important things to him.
1) He’s immortal.
2) He can regenerate but it takes energy.
3) His immortality doesn’t make him invincible. An enemy could do what Hiruko had just done.
4) While he can still move his body without his head, he can’t exactly see where he’s going without his head…So, his head is very important to be careful with. Especially since he won’t die. He’ll just be stuck.
5) He can reattach his body parts. That should save Nozomi some work.
6) While he is strong compared to a lot of demons there are bigger fish and he can get caught unaware. Because of that he’ll need to be cautious.
7) Demons will try to deceive him like Hiruko just did. That was the whole point of her doing that. To prove a point to him.
8) Hiruko is scary. Don’t mess with Hiruko.

He thinks he’s considered all of the important points. This was relevant to keep in mind to avoid being stuck in a horrifying situation and to protect Nozomi. His mind focused on Nozomi…If that happened on a battlefield while she was there then she would be in danger.

“Hiruko said that I’ll have to be merciless…Demons use words to deceive people. The ones I fought weren’t smart enough to do that but they were small fries. Merciless…”, Takumi thought.

Throb.

“I need to be merciless to protect Nozomi…I won’t let the demons hurt her. I’ll tear them apart and devour them whole…”, Takumi thought, with his mental narration sounding distorted near the end.

Takumi exited the room and returned back.

“You should probably take a rest like usual. You’re probably really tired especially after fighting Hiruko.”, Sirei suggested.

“I think I’ll do that. I’m pretty hungry too…I think regenerating makes me hungry.”, Takumi replied.

“You can regenerate too? That’s sick.”, Takemaru commented.

“Well he did put his head back on…somehow.”, as Tsubasa said that she looked nauseous.

“Keep your guard up even outside of battle. Considering you are most vulnerable in this form demons may try to sneak in to kill you. That’s probably what happened when you almost died.”, Hiruko warned.

“How do you know about that?!”, Takumi questioned.

“Who do you think saved your girlfriend after you went down in such a pathetic manner?”, Hiruko questioned.

Takumi’s eyes widened.

“You saved Nozomi?! Thank you!”, Takumi thanked.

“You can thank me for being a useful and productive member of our unit.”, Hiruko replied.

Takumi nodded.

“So, the demon that attacked me is dead?”, Takumi questioned.

“That’s right. There’s no need to worry about it now. I think Hiruko’s theory is right. Cunning demons have been known to impersonate humans to get into settlements so that’s probably how it got in.”, Sirei replied.

“That’s scary…That reminds me of what happened to me.”, Tsubasa commented.

“What happened to you, don't mind me asking?”, Takumi questioned, nervously.

“You see I worked as an engineer for Future Foundation as a part of the draft. I’m not really the warrior type. I usually just end up supporting the others. I was working on this secret project that a demon really wanted to sabotage so it disguised itself as one of the people I was working with and attacked me…”, Tsubasa explained as she looked queasy.

“O-Oh…”, Takumi replied, shaken.

“A lot of demons want to sabotage the Future Foundation because of how important they are to humanity’s survival. The easiest way to do that is for a demon to disguise itself so it can kill someone or destroy something.”, Eito explained.

“Demons impersonating humans…That’s a scary prospect. I think I’ve heard one of the other guards mentioning something like that happening before.”, Takumi thought.

His mind really lingered on that idea. There was just something about it…

“Oh that’s right I almost forgot!”, Sirei said.

Takumi’s eyes widened as he was handed a long tube-like object with a button.

“Your scythe doesn’t seem to work the same as the other Proto-Fiend weapons so I thought it was best to give you this. Until we figure out a way for you to shrink in your divine form you’ll need this to defend yourself without causing a lot of property damage with your size.”, Sirei explained.

His eyes were practically sparkling. He had a suspicion about what it was. It was confirmed when he turned it on. A red tube shaped blade of light appeared when he turned it on.

“It’s a lightsab—plasma sword!”, Takumi gasped.

“Sounds like you’re a fan of the classics.”, Sirei replied.

“I love movies!”, Takumi replied, in a rather excited manner.

He had a goofy wide smile and his hands were balled up and raised in excitement.

“Be careful not to cut yourself on accident.”, Hiruko warned.

“Like a gun, plasma swords have a safety function. It’s right there.”, Sirei pointed out.

The safety on it was just like a gun to keep it simple. Takumi made sure to turn it on after shutting the sword off.

“Thanks. My scythe is kinda massive. Even if I could summon it in this form it would probably get…messy.”, Takumi replied.

His eyes were fluttering and he rubbed them.

“I should probably get to eating…”, Takumi said.

Tsubasa had to go back to working on the same project that got her killed unfortunately…Hiruko went off on her own somewhere and Takemaru decided to start training. He looked particularly determined after watching Takumi and Hiruko fight. Considering Takumi wouldn’t be conscious for long Eito decided that he’ll go to the library.

“If you’re interested you could come after you rest.”, Eito offered.

“I’ll consider it. I do want to get to know you guys. You seem cool.”, Takumi replied.

After saying his goodbyes Takumi rushed to eat something. They all separated. It was only once Hiruko was out of view did she allow herself to stagger. Her hand propped herself up by touching the wall of her room. A beat of sweat fell down her face.

There was no doubt in her mind that Takumi was strong. Especially with what he did to her. She’ll need some repairs over the coming days. It was of grave importance that he learns how to utilize such terrifying power correctly.

He was really hungry. Today he decided to eat a really big beef bowl stacked with protein. He found that they helped him get through his training. Sometimes he would mix it up when he got bored. Right now, he was just hungry and inhaled the thing. While he wasn’t normally the type to have a big appetite, training always made him really hungry. He had some soda to wash it down with.

Sirei had explained to him that he can eat normally because their bodies are capable of converting biomass into biofuel as a secondary power source to their main one. Biomass being organic material. It seemed to be similar to how human bodies do so with food but they don’t have waste left behind. He hardly understood that part, much less how they don’t have waste, but he wasn’t complaining about not needing to go to the restroom.

Honestly…

He didn’t even know if he had the…”organ” or in his case part necessary to pee. While he was curious he was honestly too embarrassed to ask. Takumi assumes that it’s a no because only his brain is human so he can’t…reproduce. It wouldn’t serve a function for them to possess them, he thinks. The function to allow them to taste was purely for their enjoyment though so…it wasn’t completely impossible.

Takumi decided to stop thinking about this because it made him embarrassed.

“It looks like the training went longer today. Are you okay?”, Nozomi asked.

“Yeah. The other Proto-Fiends were there. I got to meet them for real this time and learned their names. We ended up talking for a bit.”, Takumi explained.

She noticed how he got seconds.

“Did you fight?”, Nozomi questioned.

This made Takumi pause and look dumbfounded.

“You didn’t get off on the right foot yesterday and…you’re eating more than usual. That means you fought more today.”, Nozomi surmised.

“Nothing gets past you does it…?”, Takumi sighed.

“Are things okay?”, Nozomi asked with concern.

He nodded.

“Yeah, we talked things out. The leader Hiruko wanted to test my power…in more ways than one. She knew I was immortal when I didn’t and took my head off to test.”, Takumi explained between bites.

Nozomi looked horrified at this.

“You’re immortal…?”, Nozomi questioned.

“I’m just as surprised as you are. I guess Sirei told her.”, Takumi replied.

“And she tested that by…decapitating you?”, Nozomi questioned, with understandable concern.

“According to Sirei, deities can’t die for good. They can come back if people want it enough so I guess he wasn’t too worried because of that. He wasn’t concerned about that girl dying for that reason. He said she’ll come back.”, Takumi explained.

“That’s still far too reckless! She could have killed you…”, Nozomi replied.

“I’m just glad she didn’t…Apparently she also wanted to use it as an opportunity to show me that enemies could do the same to me. It was…really really scary. I stared at my decapitated body as it stumbled over itself trying to get my head back.”, Takumi explained.

“I don’t think going that far was necessary.”, Nozomi replied.

“Yeah…she seems like the sadistic type. She joked about burying my head and making me search for it or using my head as a volleyball to mess with me.”, Takumi replied.

He got a third bowl.

“I see…”, Nozomi replied, looking quite concerned.

“I’m glad I know at least. It would be really bad if a demon did it. Because I can’t die I’d just be stuck like that. So, she told me to keep my guard up and don’t let demons trick me like she did to take off my head.”, Takumi explained.

Nozomi looked horrified as she imagined it. That sounded like hell. Takumi’s immortality could very easily become a curse.

“That’s good at least. You really do need to be careful.”, Nozomi replied.

“She also said that demons disguise themselves as humans to get into settlements. Another girl named Tsubasa said that she ended up needing to be rebuilt like me after a demon did that so that they could sabotage a machine. So…you should be careful too. It’s happened before so it could happen again.”, Takumi explained.

“Thanks for the warning. I’ll keep that in mind.”, Nozomi replied.

She has still hardly made a dent in her food while Takumi stuffed himself with his third bowl.

“Hiruko beat me up before she decapitated me so…that’s why I’m so hungry. I can actually regenerate which…I also just found out today, but I need energy to do it. It took a lot of energy to heal off the damage she caused to me.”, Takumi explained.

“She must be strong…It sounds like she’s quite experienced. I don’t quite agree with her methods but I’m glad that she’s imparted some knowledge to you. It will help keep you safe.”, Nozomi commented with wide eyes for a moment.

Takumi nodded absentmindedly.

She supposed it was to be expected. As his senior, Hiruko was bound to be stronger and more experienced. Seeing how strong Takumi was in that battle yesterday made her forget that even while he is very powerful now he’s far from invincible.

Takumi was mostly focused on eating now. He looked sleepy. After his bowl was finished he yawned. For them sleeping wasn’t exactly mandatory in the same way it is for biological life as long as they had a constant source of energy. They were kinda like a computer in that way. As long as they're plugged in they can keep going for as long as they want, but if they’re unplugged they can run out.

He realized that he should probably ask about how to stay plugged in exactly for safety reasons. He hadn’t until now because he likes sleeping. In light of new information he decided that he’ll ask about it later.

“I’m gonna head to sleep…”, Takumi yawned.

“Okay, see you later.”, Nozomi replied.

Takumi headed to his room. He locked the door and looked around absentmindedly. His hackles were raised after that warning even while exhausted. It led to him searching every nook and cranny of his room to make sure that something wasn’t hiding somewhere for him to feel comfortable enough to sleep. As soon as he confirmed this he flopped onto his bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Nozomi headed off to continue her training as she thought about what Takumi said. That he was immortal and the warning about demons impersonating humans.

“I hadn’t really thought about it too much but he won’t age either…What’s going to happen years from now? Will he eventually be left alone after we all die of old age?”, Nozomi thought.

Even with robots while they didn’t age that did break down. Considering Takumi could regenerate, that wasn’t very plausible to happen to him. The idea of him being lonely after outliving everyone made her heart ache.

“Just what kind of existence did I consign him too?”, Nozomi thought as guilt filled her.

He would be as a god is but with no breaks with death. Takumi would just constantly exist. His soul is incapable of passing on to the afterlife.

Was there any way to save him from such an existence?

A way to reverse it?

Those were all questions swirling in her mind. She’s learning about Proto-Fiends and she knows a lot about demons so maybe. She’s not sure how specifically but maybe in the far future he could be cured of his immortality. For one who had human connections it would ultimately become a curse. He’d be doomed to inevitably out live anyone he’s ever known.

Nozomi wasn’t sure if Takumi himself even realized this. He’s much more focused on the present. Just thinking about her and protecting humanity…

…
…
…

He remembers it keenly. The unimaginable pain that soared through his body as he was torn asunder. Poisoned and surrounded on all sides by those…wretches. On their side was his own wife and mother. His wounds burned with an ethereal red which never vanished.

Right…

He still had those scars even now. Even in a completely new body. His body was disassembled by his own adamantine scythe. The one his mother bestowed upon him to defeat his father. One which he couldn’t heal from. Kronos’ body parts were strewn on the floor bathed in divine blood.

His body was now rendered useless.

And the pain was agonizing. The pain in his body and the pain of betrayal. His infernal spawn took his scythe for himself. It was broken off by his lightning bolt. The flash of light…That sound. He hated it. The blade was attached to his spawn’s arm and absorbed.

He took his power.

His spawn surrounded him all with hateful gazes. Kronos’ humiliation only grew as they drew lots to decide just how to divide up the rest of his power. After doing so they divided up his power among the three males. Then, he was sealed into a dark coffin.

Eternal darkness…

Then, cast into Tartarus, deep within the Underworld.

That’s where he would stay for what he thought would be all of eternity. He couldn’t move his body correctly and was cursed to be unable to heal by his own scythe. Watched over in the most secure place in existence by his other spawn. There was no escaping there. In that time it was clear to him that his old body which he had been born with was as good as useless now.

All he could do while trapped in the darkness was think. And scheme on how he was going to get out of here. There was nothing else but getting out of here. His eternal mind didn’t degenerate in the same way mortals would over a period of time. It was incapable of shutting down either. The entire time Kronos was perfectly lucid.

And stewing in hatred…

Why could he not just forget?

Because his isolation was engraved into his mind.

Because he would do anything to avoid ending up this way again.

Takumi shivered in his sleep. He couldn’t imagine any of this. It was difficult to really describe.

There was a point where any senses like hunger were just dulled. His mind got used to the pain and felt nothing after a time. The pain of his cursed wounds as well.

Even the worst pain he’s ever felt became normal and routine.

His spirit would try to reach out through the seal. There had to be someone…something he could communicate with. Something to manipulate into unsealing him. Kronos had already decided a long time ago what he was going to do.

That being…taking a new body by force.

Eventually he could contact someone. A living person in the Underworld not just a person, but people. That was quite the strange thing. Especially for those ignorant to it. Not that he took issue with this.

Takumi felt nervous within his subconscious as he experienced the dream. Was this really him?

How long has Kronos been waiting for this opportunity?

And just what had he done between being sealed and being fused with him?

His mind didn’t get to that part. The last thing he saw before walking up was someone opening the coffin. That and he felt Kronos’ maddened elation.

Takumi shivered as he awoke. He felt unsettled by what he dreamed about. He didn’t want to be like that ever…

“Did I possess someone? What did do?”, Takumi thought.

He shook his head.

“N-No…that was Kronos. I’m Takumi Sumino. I simply have his power.”, Takumi thought.

Though that did make him think. He was fused with Kronos. Kronos had been plotting for longer than any civilization has existed…Was he in danger of being used by Kronos?

He felt like his mind was his own but was it?

If Kronos integrated himself with his mind could he be controlling him without him even realizing it?

Takumi felt unsure…

He stared at his hands. They were shaking. The depths of Kronos’ determination frightened him. It made him doubt himself. His hands trailed over his face.

“I’m me…right? He’s not plotting in my head?”, Takumi thought.

He looked really unsure about himself. Takumi looked at the red scars on his mechanical body. They were the same spots where Kronos was cut by his own scythe in his dream. A breath spilled out as his hand trailed over the scar on his neck.

“They’re still here…even in this new body. Just how powerful was that scythe? I guess I should be thankful that they’re just scars now.”, Takumi thought.

That strange energy flowed through the scars. Pulsing and glowing red. Some were covered by an extra layer of metal, but they were there. He felt like his power could just spill out through them. When he touched them they felt warm.

Upon becoming one with Kronos after his near death his mechanical body gained these scars. It’s as if they were innate to Kronos’ soul. With even it being wounded by the blade.

“…”

“Are they going to come back for me…? His spa—children…They hated Kronos enough to do this to him. Would they care for the nuance that I’m not him? They won’t…”, Takumi thought as he sweated nervously.

Takumi massaged his head.

“I need to kill them first. It’s necessary…it is…to protect Nozomi I can’t be trapped again.”, Takumi thought.

…It just made sense. This was a necessary precaution to make. Right…?

Was this really him talking?

There is some fear in his eyes. He’s not fully sure about that. But, he couldn’t escape these thoughts. The ones urging him to kill Kronos’ children. A nervous sweat fell from his cheek.
Throb.

“I need to kill them. I can’t leave any survivors…Not one. None to seek revenge…None to oppose me! I-I…”, Takumi thought.

Pain rippled through his head.

“I’ll defeat them…I’ll defeat them…I’ll defeat them…”, Takumi thought.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Takumi made sure to tell Eito that he decided to train more. He could understand considering what Hiruko did to him. Takumi felt quite cautious. Takemaru had stopped training to eat. That means it was just him in here. His handlers seemed pleased to see that he was committed.

This seemed to gain him more faith. People were relying on him. Takumi tried using his base with the laser sword this time. He wanted to get used to it. Fighting this way felt familiar but still strange after getting used to his divine form.

While his strength wasn’t quite as titanic, Takumi found that he was faster in this form. He was taken aback by how fast he moved around when running across to cut down demons. Holding out his blade as he ran allowed him to cut multiple demons apart quickly. Not quite as efficiently as his other form would but it was something. It took more effort to cleave apart demon hordes. He found that the demons got a lot closer to hurting him.

Takumi tried to stay aware of everything around him. It was incredibly difficult especially considering he couldn’t destroy vast numbers nearly as easily. Soon he started to get overwhelmed by sheets numbers.

“Aaaarrrrgggghhh!!!!!!!!”

A demon cut his back just like before…His core started beating really fast and he started to panic. The demons laughed at him as they ganged up on him without mercy.

He really was weaker like this. Much weaker.

Adrenaline fills his mind as he panics. His body reacts in turn and starts tearing the demons ganging up on him apart. A harsh kick to the back sends him face first on the ground. Before it can get worse the demons are hastily desummoned.

His core still felt like it would leap out of his chest. He looks around hastily with eyes wide in fear. The demons aren’t there.

“I think you should call it for today. Your body has been under a lot of stress. You won’t be able to fight optimally.”, doctor A said.

Takumi nodded without thinking twice. As he pushed himself off the ground he felt his wounds closing. They didn’t completely heal. He ended up stumbling back to his room where Nozomi found him on the way. She caught him.

“W-What happened to you?!”, Nozomi questioned in extreme concern.

“Tried fighting in this form…It didn’t go so well.”, he sounds almost drunk.

Nozomi took Takumi back to his room. She quickly got out her tools.

“It will be okay, Takumi. I’ll fix you.”, Nozomi said.

She had Takumi laying on his stomach as she repaired the parts that didn’t fully heal due to lack of energy. Takumi quickly found himself drifting to sleep. Nozomi worked on Takumi as he slept.

Nozomi felt relieved when she successfully repaired him. It took about an hour or so. The damage that wasn’t healed was minor. She pulled the blanket over Takumi to make him comfortable.

“He keeps pushing himself so hard. He might go too far and really hurt himself.”, Nozomi thought.

She couldn’t stop thinking about it. He was like this because he tried to help her. Cursed to a frankly horrifying existence. Most of his body was very smooth and obviously metallic. Considering what a marvel of science was in front of her she supposed that expecting more artificial skin than just his face was a bit much.

There were certainly questions on the differences. She admitted that the red hair looked good. His body seemed to have these red scars from his neck down. When she asked she was told these were simply a side effect of Kronos’ power. It affected the mechanical body instantly. This certainly made her wonder…

Was Takumi’s soul really in there? Was there even a way to guarantee that?

She’s seen movies where people’s brains are copied and digitized. It could be like that. But, that would mean that the Takumi that she’s known her entire life really was dead. He could certainly think that he’s Takumi, but isn’t really. Nozomi wasn’t sure if her heart could take that possibility.

Her mind flashed back to his vacant gaze from within his cracked helmet. He died really fast…Who’s to say how long souls stay in bodies? Could people’s souls even transfer into new ones made for them?

“I shouldn’t be thinking about this…I’m just overthinking things.”, Nozomi thought.

“Ehehehehehe…”

A chill went down Nozomi’s spine. She looked around to find no source. Takumi was still asleep. It’s 1am.

“It’s late…I need to go to sleep. I’m starting to imagine things.”, Nozomi thought.

For a second she made sure she had her gun. She could never be too sure considering Takumi’s warning. Demons could be anywhere. One did get in and nearly kill Takumi after all.

The halls were really dark and quiet. They seemed to stretch on forever. Nozomi walked through the darkness. The place was familiar enough where she knew where she was going even without light.

“I still haven’t told him…There hasn’t really been a good time to.”, Nozomi thought.

These eerie familiar halls…She wonders just how much has happened here considering her work and what was done to Takumi. What other things were being done behind these walls? There were other Proto-Fiends with Takumi being number 6. She already knew that one had a similar accident to Takumi within these walls too.

Things weren’t quite as safe as she thought.

She heard something fall over. It sounded too heavy to be medicine falling. Her head whipped around. She didn’t see anything. A bead of sweat fell from her face as she grabbed her gun as a precaution. Despite her instincts screaming at her to do the exact opposite she looked for the noise with her gun out.

It might be safer to wake up Takumi. She didn’t want to disturb him though. And from what she saw it did seem like he struggled to fight in his normal form. Her hand was shaking as she heard something moving about.

Where was everyone?

It was a hospital…There was usually at least someone here overnight. Maybe that’s what it was. Despite assuring herself of this her body was still tense like a wary animal.

She heard a distorted groan. It was very low. Based on her knowledge of demons that was…

Hastily she turned around to see a haggard body approach her. It shambled towards her, hardly holding itself together with blue flames. Black scaled demonic knight armor covered his body. It was less metal and more a mass of shadow. One hand was completely demonic made of blue flames with long nails. Some bits of it had black armor on it. In its back was a mixture of wings and a cape. On his head was a fully covering helmet with bat wing shaped horns. It fit perfectly to his face almost like a mask with it even perfectly shifting with his mouth. All that was visible through his helmet was red glowing eyes. The body was moving awkwardly like a broken marionette. In one hand he dragged a jet black blade with blue flames against the ground. It had a simple and sleek hand guard that resembled a cross shaped tombstone.

“A-A demon…?”, her words stumbled out in confusion and fear.

Was this real or was she seeing things?

Unconsciously her gun aimed at the…zombie? If it was real then she needed to fight. It smelled absolutely horrible like a corpse. The way it moved was like an undead.

Where did it come from?

The demon was incredibly slow struggling to move correctly. One had twitched barely capable of holding the sword in it. But, was this thing real or was she hallucinating?

“You let him die…He’s gone now…”

Nozomi jumped as she heard that voice that was laughing before. There was a strange presence around the demon. It slowly raised up the sword. She ducked and it swiped. It created a seared gash in the wall. That confirmed to her what she had been dreading.

The moaning sounded closer as she jumped up to see that the demon was a few feet away from her. She quickly raised up her gun and shot it in the head. Smoke rose from her gun which had a powerful blowback.

She expected the demon to fall over but it stayed on his feet. She shot him in the head right? Preparing to fire another round the undead swung at her with his other hand surprising strength. Nozomi winced in pain and grabbed her side. The blow had sprawled out on the ground. Thankfully the fire seemed to sear her wounds shut but really hurt. She was burned.

That’s when she saw that he caught the bullet with his sharp teeth. They pushed down and munched on the bullet. She shakily raised her gun and fired at him multiple times. Nozomi aimed for his head but he swung his arm to shield it.

Okay, so the undead was intelligent enough to know its weak spot.

Or something was marionetting it.

Both possibilities were bad. she quickly touched her gauntlet. Knowing full well that it was real she summoned a demon. She summoned a Napaea which he had cast Zan. With the distraction she used the gauntlet on her arm and scanned the demon as she ran from it.

LV 15 Undead Vrykolakas

Her eyes widened in horror.

This helped to create a good distance between her and the zombie. Though she hadn’t planned to before, she needed Takumi’s help with an enemy with this level of power. He was on a different floor and unfortunately as she’s learned these rooms were very sound proof. Which was a disturbing detail.

“Kill…kill…kill…”, a voice that sounded like a distorted version of Takumi’s droned.

It was more gravely than normal. Nozomi looked extremely pale.

“Oh shit…This is a little above my pay grade! That’s a Vrykolakas!”, Napea cursed.

Her attacks didn’t hurt the undead much but it did delay him by making him stumble over himself.

“What’s a Vrykolakas?!”, Nozomi questioned.

“An undead being from my mythology that eats flesh! They’re basically zombies before it was cool! Restless souls can become them!”, Napea explained.

“B-But Takumi isn’t…”, Nozomi replied.

“There’s a soul in there! You can’t have a Vrykolakas without a soul!”, Napea shot down.

“N-No…that can’t be…Takky, is that you? Do you hate me?”, Nozomi questioned.

“Kill…kill…must kill…”, he didn’t seem capable of much conversation.

Someone opened a door behind her pushing a cart. Nozomi was about to say something before the Vrykolakas pounced on the woman and started tearing her apart. He instantly went for the neck and blood started gushing from the woman. His hand burned her as it pinned her down.

“She’s dead! Run!”, Napea shouted.

Nozomi wanted to save the woman but ended up running upstairs while the Vrykolakas was distracted. She could hear it groaning as her heart pounded. Unconsciously she started running faster. Her eyes darted around for Takumi’s room. It was hard to think clearly in the chaos. She saw a room with chains bounding it closed.

Wasn’t this Takumi’s room?

She was sure of it.

So why were these here?!

These didn’t look like normal physical chains either. They seemed ethereal as if conjured by magic. Nozomi slammed on the door with her fist in a panic.

“T-Takumi, wake up!”, she yelled.

She could see the undeadi at the edge of the hallway. He spotted her. Nozomi moved back and tried kicking the door open. Napea tried to keep it at bay as she kicked harder and harder, winding herself up each time.

SLAM!!!

Nozomi kicked Takumi’s door open. The loud sound made his eyes drift open.

“Nozomi…?”, Takumi murmured, half asleep.

His eyes were half lidded until he noticed how panicked she looked. Then, he caught sight of something behind Nozomi that held the limp body of Napea.

It was…

A demon?!

Takumi’s eyes widened.

Before she knew it the undead was howling in pain.

“Gwwwwwoooooolllllaaaa!!!!!!!!”

She looked over to see Takumi sweating intensely as his sword stabbed through the chest of the zombie. The Vrykolakas’ expression shifted for the first time as it saw Takumi. It looked angry. It tried to swipe at Takumi. Their blades clashed plasma blade against the death-like azure flame blade.

Takumi was illuminated by red light and Vrykolakas was illuminated by blue light. He couldn’t use his true power like this. Thus Takumi made a sudden decision. Harshly he kicked the demon in the stomach and pushed him through the window. The demon grabbed onto Takumi and they both fell three stories down.

“T-Takumi!”, Nozomi called out as she looked through the broken window.

She saw that they were both getting back to their feet. The fall didn’t seem to hurt them. Seeing this, Nozomi rushed down the stairs trying to get down there.

He felt this really odd feeling as he stared at the undead…There was something familiar about it. He’s never seen this armor so he doesn’t know why the demon felt familiar. It was something else about it. Something that Takumi couldn’t name himself. The two circled each other with Takumi debating transforming right now. Yeah he thinks he will. Takumi did just that and became absolutely massive.

Vrykolakas looked up at him and barely avoided the full brunt of Takumi kicking him. Even without full contact he got sent flying like a football. It struggled to stop with its wings before receiving a titanic fist that hit his entire body like a freight train. Vrykolakas struggled to move, covered in his own blood. While their levels were comparable as an undead he was naturally much less sturdy than the robotic Takumi. Before Takumi could finish, a portal opened up behind Vrykolakas and pulled him in.

“It seems he’s not ready to face you yet…It seems that even with the power of death our knight’s power pales in comparison to yours.”

Takumi paused.

“I-I know you…”, Takumi murmured, recognizing that voice.

He tried to find where it was coming from after the portal disappeared. His head hurt as he tried to think of where he recognized the voice from.

“You’re Thanatos aren’t you…?”, Takumi questioned, not fully sure but he has distant memories of that voice.

“I suppose you’ll see when we meet next, Devourer…”, the voice replied.

With that the voice was gone. As soon as Takumi was sure that the coast was clear he turned back to normal. Then, he rushed inside to help Nozomi.

“We’ve got Kirifuji. She’s being healed by the best healing demons we have right now. I need you to explain everything that happened.”, Sirei said in his head through the communications.

“O-Okay…I think I heard Thanatos back there. He wasn’t that demon I fought. I think he sent him.”, Takumi said as he ran.

“Thanatos?! You remember him?”, Sirei questioned.

“Well not really…I see some of Kronos’ memories when I’m sleeping. That voice felt familiar. I’m sure that Kronos heard it relatively recently…so it just stood out to me.”, Takumi explained.

“You really should report these things, Sumino.”, Sirei said.

“Sorry…I didn’t think about that.”, Takumi replied, genuinely.

He arrived where Nozomi was. She was on a stretcher.

“Is she okay?!”, Takumi questioned.

“She will be. Her wounds don’t seem to be life threatening. Most of them have been healed by our demons, but they can’t cure her burn. We need to treat that.”, doctor A explained.

“She’s in a lot of pain so we should get to work. You can wait outside.”, doctor B said.

“F-Fine…”, Takumi replied.

He sat outside of Nozomi’s room. Occasionally he peeked towards her room as they operated on her. Guilt filled his stomach…She got really hurt. It wasn’t life threatening, but it was still bad. Her side was burned.

“I should have been more alert…She could have been killed if she didn’t bust open my door. Have I really changed at all?”, Takumi thought.

Sirei appeared in front of him.

“There’s no need to worry, Sumino. She has the best doctors in the Akihabara Residential Complex working on her. She’ll be fine.”, Sirei assured.

“How did the demon get in here? I woke up to Nozomi busting my door down to get my help.”, Takumi questioned.

“From viewing our footage it seems like they walked through some portal. It was just like the one it left through.”, Sirei explained.

“A portal…? How am I supposed to protect Nozomi when the demons can just come in through a portal at any moment?”, Takumi questioned.

“That won’t be an issue for long. You see we’ve been working on beefing up our defenses. That’s what the demons want to sabotage.”, Sirei replied.

“Against portals?”, Takumi questioned.

“Yes, even against that. I have Kawana working hard on it right now.”, Sirei said.

“So it’s like magic?”, Takumi questioned.

“Basically. The best way to combat magic like that is with your own magic. Either way we’ve got soldiers and Hiruko heading here to beef up security in the meantime. So, you should be fine to go back to sleep.”, Sirei explained.

“But, what if Nozoml gets attacked again?”, Takumi questioned.

“Hiruko bested you. She’ll be fine taking turns on watch.”, Sirei replied.

“I guess…It seems like I’m attracting danger to her.”, Takumi replied, looking guilty.

“I don’t think so. It’s probably a case of wrong place wrong time. After all that black demon attacked more than Kirifuji so it’s not like it was targeting her.”, Sirei argued.

“Is that true?”, Takumi questioned.

“Yeah, it killed a few random employees too. It was just trying to eat anyone it could get its hands on.”, Sirei answered.

“Well at least she’s not being targeted…Thanatos said that black demon was their knight and that his power paled in comparison to mine. So, I think I might have been the target now that I think about it.”, Takumi explained.

“That’s quite annoying but not unexpected. You’ll just have to turn them into EXP. Think of it as a side quest to your main quest of facing Gaia.”, Sirei suggested.

“That’s certainly a way of thinking about it…”, Takumi murmured.

Thinking about it like a video game did make things easier though. There was a very clear bad guy here that he wouldn’t feel bad about killing. No need for him to overthink things.

He does wonder something though…Why did that demon seem so familiar? He’s sure that he’s never seen it before so why? After Hiruko arrived she forced him to bed taking no butts about it. He was embarrassed as she grabbed him by the nape and forced him into his room.

Takumi supposed he had no choice but to sleep…

For once it didn’t come easily to him.

Sirei took this time to check Takumi’s memory banks.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Takumi wakes up earlier than usual feeling restless, puts on his clothes, and checks on Nozomi. He walks into her room to see that she’s sleeping. Her side was bandaged. That’s where she had gone burned which couldn’t easily be healed by magic. He sits next to her.

It’s a few hours before Nozomi wakes up. When she tries to move around too much she winces and Takumi keeps her down.

“Woah, don’t move too much!”, Takumi practically stumbled.

“Takumi…I’ll be fine. Others probably need you right now.”, Nozomi replied.

“Well, I need you to be okay!”, Takumi retorted.

This made Nozomi flustered. He really was worried about her.

“How long have you been here?”, Nozomi questioned.

“Only a few hours. Sirei and Hiruko made me go to sleep.”, Takumi answered.

“That’s still too much, Takumi…You have important things to do. Remember you need to prepare yourself to defend humanity.”, she reminded.

“…Why are you calling me by my name?”, Takumi questioned, clearly confused.

Nozomi paused.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat. She shook her head trying to get her thoughts together.

“What’s with me? I’m letting that demon get to me. It talked in my head it must have made that undead sound like Takumi…”, she mentally told herself.

Despite that it didn’t dispel her doubts. She wasn’t sure why. This was the Takumi she grew up with…right? She was thinking that she should believe him. Not that he had any way of knowing if he was or a clone…As far as he would know he’d be the original.

“Regardless of what’s true he’s still Takky…He saved me without a second thought.”, Nozomi thought.

She remembered Takumi springing to action through his exhaustion to protect her. He sent himself and the demon careening three stories. It was all to protect her. Takumi had visible confusion and concern on his face.

“Did I…do something wrong?”, Takumi questioned.

“I-It’s nothing! You haven’t done anything wrong…”, Nozomi replied.

“Well, something clearly seems to be. You’ve never stopped calling me Takky even when I’m an ass. Weren’t you the one who told me not to keep secrets from you?”, Takumi said.

“I did…”, Nozomi murmured.

She felt like she swallowed a bitter pill as guilt welled up inside her.

“If I tell you something will you tell me?”, Takumi questioned.

In her guilt she nods.

“I think you might have gotten hurt because of me. Some weird voice said that black demon was their knight and their power paled in comparison to mine despite their efforts. I’m pretty sure this ‘knight’ was sent by Thanatos. I think that’s who the voice was.”, Takumi explained.

Nozomi looks quite surprised by it. It did make sense though considering Thanatos is the god of death. Him resurrecting someone isn’t too much of a stretch considering he has dominion over death.

“You think that it was him? What makes you so sure?”, Nozomi questioned.

“That’s because…I have dreams about Kronos’ memories. I’m not sure where exactly, but I feel like I’ve heard his voice before, like relatively recently. Kronos I mean…I don’t remember much right now and sometimes I forget a lot of details when I wake up. He was in a box for a long time so it could really only be someone he talked to in the Underworld. He seemed to know me too.”, Takumi explained.

“I see…”

“I’m sorry about this. I never wanted to put you in danger.”, Takumi apologized, looking guilty.

“N-No, it’s not your fault! You didn’t choose this…”, Nozomi replied.

“He didn’t choose any of this. He’s still…no he definitely is Takky.”, Nozomi thought.

She thought that treating him differently would be cruel even if the truth turned out to be the worst case scenario. He has no control of this. Despite telling herself this it wasn’t so simple.

“I…that demon or I suppose it’s puppet master Thanatos was just messing with me. He made the demon sound like you. I’m just shaken.”, Nozomi admitted.

Takumi looked understandably confused by this.

“What…? That wasn’t me though. You saw that.”, Takumi questioned, sounding confused and more than a little hurt.

This made Nozomi feel bad.

“No…you clearly aren’t the same. I saw you save me.”, Nozomi replied.

“So, what is going on?”, Takumi questioned, clearly confused.

“I-I…”, Nozomi struggled to reveal the doubts in her mind.

“…”, Takumi stared at her, not understanding at all.

He was trying to understand but she could understand why he was struggling.

“Ehh I won’t push you any further. If you can’t say it, that's fine.”, Takumi relented at seeing how emotional she looked.

Takumi would often do that…She remembers him often getting mad in her place when she refused to get mad at people. His eyes turned away from her in an awkward way. It was clear that he felt uncomfortable.

She nodded.

Nozomi didn’t think there was any way she could ever say that to his face. Especially in case she was wrong and Thanatos was just playing with her feelings. How could she say that part of her was questioning if he really is Takumi?

After literally saving her life it felt cruel to question him like that. To make him start to doubt who he is.

“Please, Takky…You should eat breakfast. I’ll mostly be going through treatment today so you should focus on other things.”, Nozomi said.

“…”

She wondered just what he was thinking.

“Well I don’t want to get in the way…but I’ll be back.”, Takumi replied, before switching.

“Hmm…”, he heard come from Hiruko outside the door.

“You’re already here?”, Takumi questioned.

Hiruko was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

“Indeed. Now, get ready to do your duties. Sirei is expecting you.”, Hiruko said.

Takumi nodded along. He looked back for a moment before leaving to head to the cafeteria. There were people in Demonicas. He guessed they must be those he doesn’t know.

“Why was Nozomi looking at me like I’m some sort of stranger…? Or…”, Takumi thought as he sweated nervously.

He wasn’t sure what she saw or heard, but it was making her act weird.

“That demon sounded like me…? What would that even mean? It’s probably just another case of demons messing with people. They can mimic human appearances and voices. But, if it’s just that, why is she so bothered by it? Was it just disturbing? Maybe that’s it. It sounds disturbing.”, Takumi thought.

He looked clearly troubled.

Just what had this demon knight done to make Nozomi act this way?

“She looked at me like a stranger…Does she think that demon is me? That doesn’t make any sense. I’m me. I am…Takumi Sumino. That’s obvious.”, Takumi thought.

Takumi had cereal this time. He looked around to see much more people than normal. There were people off duty in Demonicas. He felt a bit out of place especially in his hoodie.

“Hey, Takumi!”, Eito waved over to him.

He decided to sit next to Eito who was eating oatmeal.

“Good morning…I guess you’re here this time because of what happened.”, Takumi replied.

“That’s right. I heard that there was a break in with a demon. Are you alright?”, Eito questioned.

Takumi nodded.

“I am but other people got killed and Nozomi got really hurt.”, Takumi answered.

“I see…”, Eito replied.

“That’s not the weirdest part. Nozomi said the demon…She said it had my voice. She’s really shaken up about it.”, Takumi explained.

“Intelligent demons tend to do that to lure people in and mess with them. Perhaps he said some nasty things that got to her.”, Eito surmised.

“She knows it wasn’t me though because I saved her from the demon and…I don’t know. She’s been looking at me weirdly.”, Takumi replied.

“Perhaps she thinks you’re the imposter.”, Eito suggested quietly.

This took him aback.

“It’s just a thought. I’m not good at reading people so I could be wrong. I was thinking that if she knows for a fact that you are different from her attacker and is still acting weird about it she might be thinking that. You would probably know better than I would though.”, Eito explained.

“But…how would that make sense? I’m clearly me. That thing was some sort of zombie.”, Takumi questioned.

“Have you seen much sci-fi, Takumi?”, Eito asked.

“Mostly action oriented ones…movies…”, Takumi replied.

“Think about it like this. There’s you and there’s the attacker with your voice. Let’s say hypothetically when you were brought back your soul didn’t come back with you while your memories did. That would make there a question of how much of you is still you, right? We were all put back together with new parts like the Ship of Theseus.”, Eito explained.

“That has been bothering me since Sirei first mentioned souls…I remember dying really quickly and I don’t know how much time passed between me being revived and me dying. From my perspective it was seamless.”, Takumi explained.

“It’s the same way for all of us. We have no way of knowing if our souls are in these bodies or if our souls passed on. It’s a concept brought up in many sci-fi works when bringing people back to life with science. If that is the case would that make us copies? Could we ever tell the difference? And if we can't, are we any different from the original?”, Eito elaborated.

Takumi massaged his head.

“This is pretty high concept for me…That’s why I’ve just elected not to think about it too hard. Doubting who I am will only make me miserable…”, Takumi replied.

“I can understand that. That’s what the others have decided. That they’re better off not knowing the truth. I can’t blame them. It’s something I think about quite a lot though. But as I was saying there’s the attacker, right? From what little I know they’re undead. They could have replicated your voice, but those could have really been your old vocal chords. If your body is still intact then it could be reanimated.”, Eito explained.

This made Takumi shutter.

“You think that’s really my body? I did remember feeling something weird when I saw it. I looked at the information that Nozomi got from analyzing the demon. Apparently it’s what’s known as a Vrykolakas. It…is undead. Its profile says it’s some sort of vampire-like creature from Greek mythology.”, Takumi replied.

“A Vrykolakas, huh? You don’t really hear about those…”, Eito commented.

“I don’t think it’s any coincidence that it’s from Greek mythology.”, Takumi replied.

“Certainly. It all seems quite purposeful like you’re being targeted.”, Eito agreed.

“I’m pretty sure it was sent by Thanatos.”, Takumi replied.

He proceeded to explain the full situation to Eito and what was known.

“I see…Thanatos is one of the gods that works with…”, he said.

“Hades…One of Kronos’ children.”, Takumi replied, looking incredibly troubled.

“Hades is the one who was meant to keep guard over Kronos. It’s only natural that he would be the first one to notice that he’s gone.”, Eito surmised.

“So, it’s as I thought…They’ll come after me no matter what, believing me to be Kronos. I don't know what it was wearing but it was decked out in some weird shadow armor and had a flaming sword.”, Takumi said, with a troubled look.

“It does seem that way. No matter what the case is, it seems that you’re being targeted by the Underworld. They even gave it what sounds like mythical equipment…That’s troubling.”, Eito replied.

“Do you know anything about Vrykolakas?”, Takumi asked.

“…They’re known as restless spirits. While they’re often compared to vampires considering they sleep in their graves they're actually more similar to the more modern idea of a zombie. They eat flesh and have the appearance of corpses.”, Eito explained.

“Spirits?”, Takumi questioned.

“Right…Vrykolakas are known to be caused by restless or impudent souls dying. Ones that couldn’t pass on correctly…”, Eito replied looking troubled.

“What is it?”, Takumi questioned, nervously.

“Vrykolakas are driven by souls…So, there is a soul in that demon. It could be someone else’s to mess with you or…”, Eito replied as he looked down.

“I-It could be mine…Is that why it felt so weird? I couldn’t understand why but I felt really unsettled when I looked at it.”, Takumi said.

Eito nods. They eat their food in an awkward silence. That was quite the heavy thing. It implied that they may not have their souls. And if they didn't, what did that make them?

“That’s enough about my stuff…How have things been with you?”, Takumi said.

“Not much really. I usually spent my time reading books outside of training or missions.”, Eito replied.

“You don’t talk to people?”, Takumi questioned.

“I’m rather socially awkward. You experienced that a few days ago. I grew up in a hospital so I have a hard time communicating with people.”, Eito explained.

“I think you’re just fine to me.”, Takumi assured.

“It warms my heart to hear you say that.”, Eito replied with a smile and hand over his heart.

“So, where do you normally stay? It doesn’t seem like you're staying here.”, Takumi asked.

Eito seemed taken aback by the question.

“Oh, I live alone so there’s not too much of a concern of me being found out.”, Eito answered, quietly.

“Sounds like they trust you.”, Takumi said.

“Considering I mostly keep to myself there isn’t much danger of sharing what I shouldn’t.”, Eito replied.

“I suppose that makes sense. They won’t even let me call my parents because they think I’m a blabbermouth.”, Takumi replied.

“You could try going on strike until they let you. We still have rights.”, Eito suggested.

“I guess…but I don’t want anyone to be in danger because of that.”, Takumi replied.

“I see. You’re quite thoughtful, Takumi.”, Eito said.

“I’m not sure how much that would mean if I tried it. I’m pretty sure my body is considered government property. Who’s to say that they can’t take me out of it and replace me with someone else?”, Takumi thought.

The thought of it made him quite frightened. Perhaps it was cowardly, but he couldn’t help feeling that way. He didn’t want to give any reason for Future Foundation to replace him. That was one of his biggest fears. That he would be gone and leave Nozomi alone again. There didn’t seem to be any way forward, but being obedient in his mind.

“What would standing up for myself even do…? I can’t protect what I care about without obeying them. It’s the only way. I just need to do everything they say to reach a happy ending.”, Takumi thought.

In his mind he remembers being chopped to pieces by a demon as Takumi then as Kronos…

It seemed quite obvious to him. He needed Future Foundation’s help. They were the only reason he was here after all. His life was saved by them. So he accepted that his life belonged to them now. Not only that but that he needed them to be able to protect his loved ones. He accepted it as a simple fact that he couldn’t change.

As an individual he can’t accomplish his goals.

That was the truth.

Future Foundation had the resources for him to get stronger. They were in charge of the Akihabara Residential Complex. Ultimately they controlled everything so causing trouble would only potentially put others like his parents at risk or himself…

Thus there wasn’t a question in his mind.

He had to serve them.

There was nothing else to consider.

Whether or not he’s a clone didn’t change that. He couldn’t live under the thought that he was a clone or a brain without a soul. That just wasn’t something that he could accept. Even if it wasn’t true he just had to tell himself that was the case to keep himself motivated and going.

“I am Takumi Sumino…That’s the truth.”, Takumi thought.

“Wait…I think I know that voice.”, soldier A said.

Takumi paused.

“I wasn’t sure before because he looked different, but he’s definitely that kid. The new one.”, soldier B added.

Takumi looked nervous.

“H-Hello…”, Takumi replied and Eito noticed his nervousness.

“What are you doing here? Don’t tell me those small fries really took you out of commission bad enough to land ya in the hospital.”, soldier C questioned.

“Well…a demon did attack me, but near the hospital. I don’t know which one it was.”, Takumi answered.

Eito seemed unsure of how to interject as he watched the conversation take place.

“A demon this far into the district? Are you crazy? Nothing could get that far in. You trying to get out of ruffing it out with the rest of us?”, soldier D questioned, slightly tipsy despite it being morning.

“It definitely happened…I’m not allowed to say much about it.”, Takumi replied.

“Wow, that’s awfully convenient.”, soldier D replied.

“Lay off him. He couldn’t fake it in this hospital. This place is the real deal.”, soldier A reprimanded with an authoritative tone.

“I’ll do what I want! What’s with the appearance change?”, soldier D retorted as he pointed at Takumi.

“I can explain.”, Takumi looked a relieved breath as he heard that voice.

Sirei just appeared like he always does.

“Takumi’s body was so damaged that we had to make a lot of changes to keep him alive. Whatever attacked him tore him nearly to shreds.”, Sirei explained.

“Geez…did he get enough blood transfusions to change his appearance…?”, soldier C murmured.

“He must have been bled almost dry.”, soldier B surmised.

“Wait, what about his ears? Those aren’t headphones.”, soldier D questioned.

Takumi felt self conscious all of the sudden and hid his hands. That’s when he realized that his neck was still visible. His neck was clearly metallic.

“Now that you mention it…Holy fuck…Did you get turned into a cyborg or something?”, soldier C questioned.

“Uh…”, Takumi murmured.

“That’s classified, soldier.”, Sirei replied.

Takumi shifts awkwardly as he slurps on his milk.

“Who’s blunder was it bringing them here?”, Sirei thought.

Sirei tugs at Takumi.

“It’s time for some treatment.”, Sirei told him.

Takumi nodded, not fighting at all at being taken away from the scene. Now, he could just fight demons which was much simpler than all of the other things going on around him…He didn’t want to think too deeply.

If he could just be what they wanted him to be then everything would be fine, right?

He could just be what society wanted of him…Whether that was a normal boy or currently a soldier. Takumi found himself doing a bit better than yesterday. His eyes stayed focused on everything around him to avoid getting tripped up as often. He found that he couldn’t use magic or skills in this state which made things more difficult. It felt like it was helping though. It was making him more vigilant in his divine form or more aware of how to cover his companions.

Between more hordes being summoned he looked up at the viewing area. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for exactly. Sirei seemed to know, recognizing his puppy-like look.

“You’re doing great, Sumino. If you continue to impress we might let you on some real missions.”, Sirei said.

This perked Takumi up. Takumi was a pretty open book which was useful for their purposes. As simple as a dog as far as they were concerned. All he needed was positive reinforcement. To feel loved and like he was wanted.

With his troubled relationship with his parents, Sirei hoped to insert himself into that role. To do that he needed to make Takumi feel comfortable around him. To make him seem approachable. All to keep Takumi as theirs. That was the goal.

Over the coming days Takumi would improve with his “human” form with some training in his divine form mixed in. While training usually wouldn’t have use for demons they were different. Demons were born as strong as they will ever be. Fully static existences where strength is determined by birth. They could gain more proficiency or try to fuse or eat people for more power but that was about it.

For their Proto-Fiends there was a cap, but it was much higher since deities were used. Considering these weren’t very natural vessels it took time for the power to be properly accessed. For that to happen the vessels needed to be familiarized with the power. Not to mention the need to relearn their abilities.

Sometimes Hiruko decided to jump into the training simulation to stretch her legs. She had a bit too much fun as she made good on her threat and stole Takumi’s head again.

“I want you to take it back from me if you can.”, Hiruko chuckled.

This made Takumi shutter. His headless body struggled around trying to get his head back. Hiruko was determined not to make it easy for him as she would yank it away and even create weapons to block him. Her wide axe acted as a great shield and weapon to keep distance away from Takumi’s body.

“I-It’s so hard to see!”, Takumi stampered, his head facing the opposite direction of his body.

“That’s the point. An enemy won’t make it easy for you and neither will I.”, Hiruko replied.

Takumi becomes more flustered as she bats his head around like a volleyball. With her speed she easily catches his head on the other side leaving his body stumbling around.

And Hiruko was not lying…

They went at it for hours with her fully expecting him to get it back himself. His face was really red at this point from embarrassment and Hiruko holding his head so close to her body. He wasn’t sure what to do. But, he felt himself adjusting. His body was getting closer as Takumi felt himself starting to see in a different way. He wasn’t quite sure how to describe it.

Throb.

“What I’ve been doing hasn’t been getting me anywhere. I need to calm down and think of a real plan.”, Takumi thought.

Throb.

Throb.

Throb.

As his emotions settled down he started to feel the area around him. Everything going on in the background was blotted out. He could feel the vibrations in the air. When his feet touched the ground he felt connected to something…It felt like it was something natural to him even though he’s never done it before as Takumi.

Throb.

He tried to deepen this as he fully focused on piloting his body. His body was getting closer to touching her ever so slowly. As his focus peaked he swore that he could see her even with his eyes closed. His body too. See wasn’t quite the right word. It was more like he felt them. It certainly wasn’t his scanners considering he needed his eyes to be open to scan.

This went on till 2am when Hiruko wasn’t facing his body and clearly very confident at this point…

But now he could feel where his body was and where she was.

While her back was briefly turned from him after trying to catch his head. She looked around for a moment in confusion when she didn’t see his body. Suddenly a loud sound was heard as his body jumped at her from behind.

“Hyaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!”, she sounded more startled than anything.

Wait, did she just scream…? Like a normal girl?

She seemed genuinely taken off guard and flustered at this. It made her drop his head in shock and before she could catch it he did. Immediately he backed up as much as he could and put his head back on. Takumi’s plan entitled his body sneaking up behind her. All of his moving around for hours helped him learn to make his footsteps quieter. His jumpscare made her drop his head after catching it. Before she could catch it again he did.

“So, you can use your brain…That won’t happen again.”, Hiruko declared in a threatening tone.

It seems that getting caught off guard and shrieking like a normal girl got her angry.

“Oh, so you are like a girl.”, Takumi replied, in a teasing manner after getting his head back.

“What’s that supposed to mean? What did you think I was?”, Hiruko questioned.

“You seemed like some sort of sadistic terminator to me. Hearing you shriek like that made me remember that you’re a person like us too. You looked pretty cute, all flustered.”, Takumi says with no hint of self preservation.

Hiruko tries to hide how flustered she is and glares daggers through a side eye that sends a chill down his spine.

“Next time, if you don’t get your head in under an hour I’m burying it.”, Hiruko threatened in a way where he wasn’t sure if she was joking or not.

“P-Please tell me you’re joking!”, Takumi stampers as he stumbles over himself.

“…”, she starts heading out.

“Hiruko!”, Takumi calls out fearfully.

He thinks he might have sealed his fate.

But, before he forgot he went up to Sirei.

“I remembered something last night.”, Takumi said.

“Oh really? What is it?”, Sirei asked.

“Kronos’ power was divided up among his sons. His youngest son took his scythe too…so I don’t think the scythe I have is the same one.”, Takumi explained.

“That’s a bit troubling. Well, it just means you’ll have to turn those unruly children of yours into sub bosses. I mean Hades is already messing with you anyway. You might as well take your power back from him.”, Sirei explained.

“Oh…you’re fine with that?”, Takumi questioned.

He wasn’t quite sure why he was so unsure himself. There was a slight doubt.

“Why of course. We fully endorse any crusade you want to launch against the Hellenistic pantheon. They’re full of jerks anyway besides you of course. Like their chief guy seriously has tried to destroy humanity like multiple times. We have no issue with you eating all of them. Especially if it makes you stronger.”, Sirei explained.

Takumi felt a smirk form on his face unconsciously. There was something there on the edge of his mind.

“I’m happy to hear that. You won’t have issues with the Hellenistic pantheon when I’m done. They’ll never threaten humanity again.”, Takumi? chuckled, darkly.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Groaning could be heard as a shadow moved within the night. A soldier looked out silently cautious as the shadow shifted checking for the source of the noise. He pointed his gun at the shadow. More soldiers were walking around with their guns out.

Slowly a hand seemed to manifest from the shadows reaching out. At first it just hit empty air until a soldier walked past. When they did they let out a howl of pain as what appeared to be a graze burned their leg. He hastily grabbed his leg and called out for help.

The other soldiers instantly rushed in guns ready at the noise. What they found upon their arrival was the corpse of the soldier strewn about. His armor looked like it was burned and cut at the same time. The man’s stomach was ripped open revealing his rib cage with the organs inside cleaned out.

“The fuck…?”, soldier C questioned as approached the area cautiously.

He kept his gun out and pointed it around.

SHIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!

When he looks behind him he sees the soldiers lined up behind him cut in half. Their bodies spilt onto the ground messily. He backs up nervously pointing his gun near where they were.

“Where are you, you freak?!”, soldier C questioned.

Splat…..

“Gllllwwwppppp!”

Soldier C reached for his throat which was pierced by a blue flaming blade. There was a figure in black behind him. The figure was mid crouch having snuck up from behind him. Roughly the figure pushed his body down which crashed onto the floor.

What crawled over him was revealed to be the Vrykolakas. It was drooling messily as it crawled over him. The man choked on his own blood as the creature tore his back open. It thrusted its head straight into his exposed flesh like a tiger as it started eating him.

Meanwhile Takumi was completely oblivious to all of this. He was watching a movie that he found through looking through tapes. The teen was wrapped up into his blanket. On his side table he had chips and soda.

The TV there was pretty retro. It was one of those massive box-like TVs. Considering it took tapes it was definitely old. In his movie there was a woman on a phone talking with a mysterious man. Their conversation went from humorous to threatening which made his heart rate accelerate.

“I hope that I can watch something with Nozomi soon. This kind of movie might be…in poor taste considering what happened.”, Takumi thought.

The young woman started threatening the man on the phone that her boyfriend would beat him up. As she did she was locking all her doors.

Damn, why did she have so many doors?

And big windows?

Back with the Vrykolakas…

Upon seeing a light getting near him he scurried away. Another soldier stumbled upon what happened.

“D-Damn…where the hell are you, demon?! I’ll kick your ass with this big ass gun of mine!”, soldier D threatened.

He held up a rifle from a fallen soldier which he started firing around the area with two rifles. It made the ground shake as he lit up the area. Hissing and scurrying around was heard.

“Oh did that hurt, asshole? Good. It hurt when you killed my guys!”, soldier D taunted.

The scurrying got louder.

“Hate…I’ll tear you apart.”, Vrykolakas growled, sounding more coherent than last time.

“The fuck…? There’s no way.”, soldier D cursed as he vaguely recognized the voice.

There was a line of fire that ignited against the ground as he dragged his sword. He jumped out pouncing on him like an animal. Soldier D kicked Vrykolakas and started firing. Vrykolakas grunted and tried shielding himself with his blade this time. It was an improvement from last time. The flames melted the bullets.

He swings at soldier D which he barely dodged. His chest plate was cut.

“Shit…Reinforcements! Hello!”, soldier D screamed.

He tried to keep his distance from the demon to fire at him from afar. The soldier found a grenade on one of the corpses. As it neared him he threw the grenade at the demon and jumped. It created a much bigger explosion than one would expect with its destructive power enhanced by the Demonica.

“I’ll have your head on a pike, demon! When I do I’ll get a promotion and finally get the Demon Summoning Program I’m owed! Then I can kill more of you fuckers!”, soldier D taunted.

He grabbed more grenades to throw at the demon with rapid succession.

With Takumi…

After getting a horror trivia quiz wrong her boyfriend got gutted and the young woman was forced to run for her life from a masked killer. They wore a costume that fully obscured their features.

Was it weird that he felt like the boyfriend here?

Especially after the young woman hyped him up only for him to die immediately. However unlike Nozomi the girlfriend wasn’t nearly as lucky.

“Behind you!”, Takumi called out as he saw the woman had the killer right behind her.

With the demon…

He held his guns back up when he ran out of grenades. When he looked around he didn’t see the demon anywhere.

“Where are you, fucker? You sound familiar…”, soldier D questioned.

“Trash…”

Soldier D fired where he heard it.

“What did you say?”, soldier D questioned.

“Stink…booze…”

“You stink you undead piece of shit!”, soldier D shouted as he fired both guns.

“Wrrrrrrrrryyyyyy!!!!!!!!”

Vrykolakas launched itself straight at him like a madman. Flames propelled him forward at extreme speed.

With Takumi…

“B-Behind…”, Takumi stampered as he saw the knife sink into the girl.

“Boo!”

Takumi jumped as Sirei jumpscared him.

“Gyaaaahhhhhh!!!!!”

Sirei proceeded to laugh at him before zipping away. He giggled like a schoolgirl as he did so.

“Got ya!”, Sirei said.

“Real funny…”, Takumi murmured with a funny look.

“Nice movie pick by the way. That’s a horror classic.”, Sirei left him with that comment.

In the movie the teen was on the ground as the killer tried to stab her again. As they did so she pulled off their mask and it cut away.

With the demon…

Soldier D was coughing up blood as Vrykolakas was on top of him. He pinned him down.

“Drunk trash…Hate. Hate…!”, Vrykolakas hissed as he stabbed his sword into the soldier repeatedly.

The soldier's hand reached out shakily as the revenant struck him mercilessly. It was with a savage hate and passion. His red eyes shined through clearly. He tried to grab at his face. All his hand could do was pull off the helmet…

Which revealed familiar features. Eyes that had become vacant and dull. They glowed an unnatural red. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot. His ears were pointed and he had noticeable fangs. Teeth pained red with blood…Extremely pale skin like that of a ghost and gaunt features like that of a corpse. His hair was black in a very familiar style but lacking an ahoge.

“Gggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…”

Soldier D’s eyes widened. He didn’t understand what he was seeing. It shouldn’t be possible. No part of his body was mechanical…and those original features were there.

He held up the blade at him for a final stab with extreme murderous intent.

The blade went down…

With Takumi…

Takumi covered his eyes at the grizzly scene of the girl’s parents finding her corpse. He knew it was special effects. He’s seen dead bodies before but it still got him. The opening of the movie gave him chills.

“Woah…this guy is the real deal.”, Takumi commented.

He thought that it might be a bit too scary for him. Thankfully the movie seemed to calm down after that for a while which he was thankful for. It was even pretty funny.

Takumi paused it after the second attack as he felt himself drifting into slumber. He knew it was extremely difficult for him to fight sleep when it came to him and didn’t want to try to find his place again and spoil himself. His head was smushed into his pillow and his eyes flickered between open and closed.

In his dreams he saw Kronos take up his scythe for the first time…

It was an adamantine scythe that glittered an enchanting ebony. Like that killer in his movie he lied in wait with killing intent. He waited as his father descended in the form of an avatar.

The avatar looked like absolute perfection far beyond what humans could convey. His eyes were the color of lightning with white hair perfectly soft like the clouds. This included the most exquisite beard ever to be seen. A body that wasn’t too muscular or too thin. On his back were white angelic wings. He wore elegant white cloth lined with gold. It shined like a star.

Waiting for him in bed was a woman covered in sheets. As he prepared to mount her.

SSSSHHHHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGG!!!!!!!

“Raaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!!”

His father howled and divine blood spurted from his body. Eyes widening with horror as Kronos appeared from the shadows. The black of his body helped him blend in well. His father was grabbing his lower area trying to stop the bleeding.

But, the bleeding wouldn’t stop. It would NEVER stop. From his blood sprung more life but he didn’t care about that.

“Y-You must stop…”, his father begged, still in shock.

His other hand slipped behind his back preparing something. He tried to fire a lightning bolt at him but as he did so Kronos chopped up that hand.

“Why should I?”, Kronos questioned in a dark tone.

His father was unable to understand why he wasn’t healing. Silently the woman had backed away in the bed.

“Y-You are my son…”, his father said.

“Son?”, Kronos questioned.

He chuckled darkly before cutting off his other hand.

“Now, you call me your son? As I best you…As I rend you…As I cast you away into the dark?”, Kronos said.

He bore a wicked smile clearly taking pleasure in the situation.

“M-Monster…”, his father replied, shakily.

“I’m what you made me.”, Kronos replied.

His father still tried to fight while weakened. The heavens struck down upon him, but he was prepared now. Better than he was before. He fought with a mix of skill and instinct heavily leaning towards a bestial instinct. Despite how his father resisted most attacks that meant nothing to his scythe. Aware of that he leaned on it to destroy him. Their battle shook the heavens and Earth. Kronos applied titanic power into his strikes helping the enchanted scythe cut through his body. His own power flowed into it.

He grinned widely as he cut into his father repeatedly. The elation he felt could not be described in words. It was something he had been waiting for his whole life. His blood stained his body and he kept cutting and cutting.

The loud flashy lighting wasn’t scary anymore. It wouldn’t haunt his dreams anymore. Instead his father was the one who would fear him now and his blade.

“You threw me away like garbage all for being born! I hadn’t done a thing to you! I spent so long in the womb cramped with the others because of you…Not just me…My brothers and sisters too! You confined them to the darkness! That ends now!”, Kronos berated.

A satisfied smile was visible on the woman’s face as Kronos tore the man apart. All of that rage built up from an unbelievable amount of time burst out like a volcano. Kronos had never been happier as he finally got to release these feelings that built up. He could finally destroy the source of his hatred and suffering.

“WE!”

SHHHHHIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“ARE!”

SHHHHHIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“FREE”, Kronos shouted.

“Gaia…help…”, his father called out, outstretching his hand, having abandoned his pride.

Then, he saw the woman…Gaia smiling.

“Goodbye, Ouranos. You were a very bad boy…”, Gaia said to her husband with a cold tone.

“Y-You created another monster…an evil…H-He shall be the same as I! No worse!”, Ouranos shouted.

Ouranos was in a pool of his own blood. Most of his perfect body was reduced to paste. Despite this they still moved. Even in this state Ouranos was alive. Kronos had a devilish grin.

“Your c-children shall betray y-you! As you w-with I! You’ll suffer f-for this, monster! I-I curse you…!”, Ouranos declared.

With a final slash Ouranos could hardly move anything.

“You’ll never hurt us again…! I’ll make sure of it!”, Kronos said in a desperate sounding tone as he grabbed up what remained of his father.

A serpentine hiss escaped Kronos’ mouth. The severed heavens fled from the Earth in fear of the monster. With that Kronos devoured his avatar and took his power. He looked horrified as Kronos did so.

Unimaginable power courses through his body like lightning. With it he felt cracks in his body form which alarmed and confused him at first. It was shedding like a snake. When it broke away he found himself looking beautiful like his father as he saw his reflection in his blood. Blood red hair and deep blue eyes…Wings made entirely of flame formed from his back. They were chaotic and destructive. What was his skin was shed becoming brilliant black armor. Though, he could feel that he had the ability to switch. Kronos was surprised and confused at his own reflection.

As one who had been born monstrous it was quite the shock. From his own perspective, looking human was bizarre to him. In confusion Kronos touched his newly smooth skin and his old skin which had become armor.

Takumi’s heart skipped a beat at seeing it.

They looked really similar, no?

Surely it must be a mistake caused by them merging. Right…it’s just a mistake.

Ouranos no longer had an avatar and the heavens never connected with the Earth again…

The dream ended with Kronos looking over to his mother expectantly covered in blood and guts. In a way that seemed disturbingly similar to Takumi in the present.

Her smile dropped.

She looked horrified of him.

Of her own son.

Kronos didn’t understand. He did as she wanted. As she had always encouraged him to do as he dwelled within her womb. She wanted Ouranos gone permanently. If he ate Ouranos then he couldn’t abuse them again.

So why was she so frightened of him?

As Takumi drifted to consciousness his pillow was soaked in drool. He recoiled back hastily.

“That’s not the kind of dream that should have me drooling!”, Takumi thought.

He wiped it up and felt disgusted. At himself considering he was technically Kronos now. Takumi honestly expected to be shooting up or in a cold sweat from that dream and the lack of that unsettled him more.

Suddenly the alarm blared, making him jump. This made him throw his clothes off to avoid getting them damaged.

Hiruko opened the door hastily.

“Time to go!”, Hiruko said, simply.

“What about Nozomi?”, Takumi questioned.

“Just transform and come!”, Hiruko replied, seriously.

Takumi did as he said and followed after Hiruko. As she exited the hospital she seamlessly transformed into her majestic form which floated in the air without any need for wings. He transformed when there was enough room.

In Nozomi’s room…

She tried to get up and was kept down.

“You’re not ready to be moving again yet. The Proto-Fiends will handle this.”, doctor B said.

“But T-Takky…”, she said as she reached out.

This made them sedate her. She had such confused feelings, but she truly wished for Takumi to be okay.

With Takumi…

Eito followed after them having transformed. Soon they were accompanied by Takemaru and Tsubasa. The way he looked as they charged reminded him of those mechs from Super Sentai. Everyone had cleared out after hearing the alarm.

When they went out Takumi saw the sky again…but he wasn’t too interested in it. It brought up bad memories. He preferred the ceiling.

“Look!”, Tsubasa said, sounding nauseous as she pointed at something.

Soldiers and demons alike stood before them frozen.

Just what was going on?

Their bodies looked like stone with expressions frozen in fear. Eito sweated nervously as he seemed to realize something.

“The hell’s with these damn statues? Is this some sort of twisted joke?”, Takemaru questioned.

“No…I think it’s—We all need to close our eyes!”, Eito warned.

As he said that, there was a shadow with a menacing glare through the smoke. They covered their eyes and a tail ripped across the area like a whip. All of the statues were shattered and they took some damage.

Before them was a scaled woman with a serpentine tail. On it she wore black clothing. Her scales were green and purple. She had pointy ears and brilliant gold eyes. Her most defining feature was the multiple skeletal golden snakes that sprouted from where her hair would be.

“Aww, I swear I suffer from my popularity. Well…one way or another I’ll make you into beautiful statues.”, the demon said.

“Medusa…! Yama is right! We can’t look at her! Her gaze turns people to stone!”, Hiruko warned with urgency.

“That’s right. I am the beautiful Medusa who was sought after by even the divine. But it was also a divine that cursed me…You’ll have to pay in her stead all of you rotten gods! Even your great mother Gaia has judged you as rotten! You’ll all be destroyed with the humans you defend!”, Medusa declared.

“How is that our fault? We didn’t curse you.”, Takumi questioned.

Medusa glares at him.

“Kronos…grandfather of Athena. If you just kept it in your pants I would have never been cursed!”, Medusa replied as she pointed at Takumi.

This made Takumi flush intensely. She says Athena’s name like a curse. Personally he’s never met her but he assumes she must be horrible to create a monster like Medusa.

“How was I supposed to know that?!”, Takumi thought.

Though she was right…He would have saved himself so much heart ache by taking a vow of virginity. That’s what he wanted to say or at least what he thought previously but this form wouldn’t let him.

Instead…

“My word…you’re such a naggy bitch. No wonder why you got cursed.”, came out of his mouth with a scoff.

“Ta—Kronos?!”, Tsubasa gasped with disbelief.

This made Takumi feel even worse for letting his control slip. He really hoped that he wouldn’t say things he didn’t mean anymore.

“I do mea—No, I don’t!”, Takumi thought.

“Stop harassing the woman! How the hell are we supposed to fight if we can’t see?!”, Takemaru questioned.

“You have other senses. Use them.”, Hiruko replied.

Tsubasa looked incredibly nervous and puked.

“Are you okay? Who was that?”, Takumi questioned.

“S-Sorry…Don’t worry about me.”, Tsubasa replied.

With her were serpentine demons like Naga and Nozuchi.

“I can handle the hordes just fine. My magic is suited for it.”, Eito said.

“I-I’ll help you since Darumi…”, Tsubasa offered, before covering her mouth just in case.

“We need to find her weakness.”, Hiruko said.

“Good luck with that. You won’t even be able to hit me.”, Medusa taunted.

“Damn it!”, Takemaru cursed.

He flew forward and Hiruko went after him upon hearing him. Takemaru tried throwing around lightning to hit her.

“What do I do? If I can’t see I might accidentally step on my allies. Wait…”, Takumi thought.

He remembers his training with Hiruko. How he got his head back. Takumi was able to know where things were without opening his eyes.

Could he do that again?

Takumi tried to focus like that again.

Medusa was distracted by the others. She simply laughed as she intentionally absorbed Takemaru’s lightning.

“Tasty~This offering won’t be enough for me to spare you though.”, Medusa taunted.

“Are you serious?!”, Takemaru questioned, about to blow his lid at his abominable RNG.

“What rotten luck…That means she’s probably weak to wind though. Brigid!”, Hiruko said on the comms.

“Oh no that’s not happening!”, Medusa replied.

She fired shells at Takemaru, but missed Hiruko. Medusa was taken aback as Hiruko came in like a storm. The gorgon was left shocked as she was damaged so easily. Very quickly she was bleeding heavily from Hiruko’s axe. Hiruko followed her voice to know where to aim. Her cries were signals that led Hiruko to her target.

This was stopped when Hiruko was hit from behind by a tail that whipped at her. She was left confused as the tail seemed to be the same size and strength of Medusas.

“What…?”, Hiruko thought.

Was she hearing things wrong?

She could hear the loud slithering of two particularly massive serpentine demons.

“Is it another serpent of the same size?”, Hiruko thought.

Hiruko wasn’t given time to linger on this as she started attacking what just attacked her. Takemaru recoiled in pain as a similar tail squeezed him. He gritted his teeth and slammed his hammer onto the tail brutishly. This made the owner wince. It was clearly Medusa’s voice.

“How rude…! Please open your eyes like a good boy.”, Medusa said.

“Fuck off! I don’t normally hit women but I make a special exception for demons.”, Takemaru growled.

“How prejudiced. I ought to report you.”, Medusa commented.

“To who your mommy? The demon ethics committee?”, Takemaru questioned.

“Then, this isn’t Medusa…”, Hiruko said as she was following her attacker.

She winced as she was struck by a shell just to hit Takemaru.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, girl. But, if you want to test that theory go ahead.”, Medusa? replied.

There was a third slithering heading for Tsubasa who struggled to strike demons physically without her sight. So instead she conjured a wind which blew them away as she tried to head to where the Medusas were at. Lightning crackled around its hand as it prepared to strike Tsubasa.

CRUNCH!

“G-Gaaaaaahhhhlllll……?”

Takumi grabbed the third serpent with his hand. It fit in his hand easily like a toy despite its own impressive size. He started squeezing her and she cried louder.

“Tak—Kronos?! Is that you?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“Yeah! Right…next to you!”, Takumi replied as his voice boomed.

Despite his warning she drove straight into his foot and clung onto it.

“Please don’t step on me.”, Tsubasa begged.

“Tsubasa…aim up. You have her weakness.”, Takumi said.

She nodded. The other enemy's eyes widened at this and started heading towards him. Tsubasa did as he suggested and used Zanma on the serpent which made her shriek even louder.

“That’s a winner!”, Takumi confirmed.

“A-Alright! I’ll add more power!”, Tsubasa replied.

The serpents were right there and Takumi made a sudden decision. He grabbed Tsubasa with his other hand and squeezed what life the serpent had left out of her body.

“M-Mercy…”, Medusa B begged.

From Hiruko’s lessons he knew the right answer. It was the only response for him to make. Demons used their language and sympathy to trick them. That’s what he had been taught.

So his decision was clear.

“No.”, Takumi replied, simply and callously.

CRUNCH!

With a violent and sickening noise he broke her body like a toy.

Upon letting her body go it crumbled and dissolved into energy. Tsubasa hurled at the really sudden movement. Her puke got all over the serpents.

“So gross! How dare you do this to me?!”, Medusa A questioned in disgust.

“O-Our sister…”, Medusa C said in horror.

“Sister…? That means there aren't two Medusas! Only one of them is Medusa and the others are her sisters! But…they can all turn people to stone!”, Eito informed, over the comms.

Medusa A cried out as Hiruko swung into her back. Takemaru swung his hammer at Medusa C violently. He flew upwards on his chariot until he found her skull and started hitting that. Takumi aimed Tsubasa at the Gorgon Sisters trying to find the right angle. She looked incredibly nauseous.

“Sorry…Trust me. Fire.”, Takumi said.

Tsubasa tried to overcome her nausea and aim. Some of her bile ended up on his hands. Her heart was pounding as she fired Zanma. A torrent of wind struck the gorgons. Takumi moved Tsubasa around so she could hit both of them and made sure to avoid Hiruko and Takemaru.

The gorgons didn’t understand what was happening or how they suddenly turned things around like this.

“H-How are you doing this?”, Medusa A questioned.

A particularly powerful Zanma shredded Medusa C leaving Medusa A horrified. She tried to flee and Hiruko was on her tail. Hiruko laughed as she struck her in the back.

“You’re not going anywhere but hell! I want to see your entrails!”, Hiruko replied.

Medusa looked pale as she was laid out on her stomach. Her horror was not too dissimilar from that of that teenage girl as she felt Hiruko slam her blade into her. She cried out in pain. The demonness was gutted like a fish. Her body vanished and disappeared meaning it was safe for them to open their eyes. With it Takumi let Tsubasa down. Immediately after she kissed the ground.

“Congratulations! That was surprisingly smooth. Good work.”, Sirei complimented.

“A lot of men were lost.”, Hiruko replied.

“Don’t worry about that too much. Focus on the good part. It’s time to celebrate.”, Sirei said as he manifested confetti somehow.

Takumi looked around to see how much people were dead exactly. It was a decent amount.

“P-Please warn me if you’re going to do something like that…”, Tsubasa said.

“Sorry…Next time. There was no time.”, Takumi replied.

For some reason this form made him want to give smartass retorts, but he held in the urge. It still felt pretty difficult for him to say what he wanted hence the pauses in his speech sometimes.

“Next time?!”, Tsubasa questioned with clear exasperation.

The mere thought of it almost made her throw up on the spot.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Warning: Spoilers for a 30 year old movie they’re watching Scream.

They were all brought back to recover and celebrate for hours in a room on the fourth floor. This time they’re together unlike the awkwardness before. Like last time they got to partake expensive food and drink. Anything they wanted really. All to make one feel like a king…or perhaps a deity. They lost track of time and sat became night.

Takumi really enjoyed the food and nice smell. They were all on the couch except Eito who sat on a separate chair.

“H-Hey Hiruko! You can’t drink!”, Takemaru shouted.

“Oh really? Ishtar is well over eighteen so I think I can.”, Hiruko retorted, before drinking expensive wine.

“I’m not sure that would hold up…”, Tsubasa replied with a funny look.

“I haven’t really thought of it like that. I try to keep my guy separate from me.”, Takumi said.

“That’s understandable…”, Eito commented.

“What did he sleep around a bunch? Curse someone? It seems like a lot of gods do that.”, Tsubasa questioned.

“He uhh ate his children.”, Takumi replied in an awkward way.

Tsubasa had a moment of realization before looking nauseous.

“Wow…okay I get it now.”, Tsubasa replied.

“My guy’s the coolest! The god of thunder and strength! He battled cosmic monsters and is a defender of the human world and the world of the gods!”, Takemaru boasted.

“Thor, right? Like the Avengers character?”, Takumi questioned, seeming stunned.

“Exactly.”, Takemaru replied.

He grinned while Hiruko’s eyebrow twitched.

“No, Thor as in the god from Norse mythology. He wasn’t made by that slop company.”, Hiruko corrected.

Takumi for his part looked stunned and somehow Takemaru too.

“It seemed accurate enough to me. Is that why I never got a memory of fighting the enemies from those movies?”, Takemaru questioned.

“You both are morons…”, Hiruko commented.

“To be fair, modern media can be just as viable for influencing how demons are as old media. As long as it influences what people think of that figure. When most people think of Thor nowadays most people think about the guy from the Marvel movies. Why if enough people have a modern character in the public consciousness they could become a demon.”, Sirei explained as he popped out.

“No way…Are you saying that we could end up facing comic book villains?”, Takumi questioned.

“Maybe. If they’re popular enough to form a demon. But you need more than just popularity. You need some sort of belief in them.”, Sirei explained.

“I see…That’s pretty crazy. I assumed all demons were just ancient monsters.”, Takumi replied.

“Demons are beings formed from the mass consciousness. They are our fears or our hopes when it comes to gods into a real tangible thing. If you’re wondering why there’s so much zombies blame the zombie nuts who manifested them into reality with their delusions!”, Sirei elaborated.

“I don’t think they knew that…”, Takumi replied.

“I really wish they didn’t…If I’m going to be honest I never heard of Brigid until I became her. Apparently she’s the goddess of smithing and poetry. That first part suits me nicely. I’ve heard of Thor through the Marvel movies. She’s nice and not too…you know.”, Tsubasa admitted.

“I may have turned a few men into animals or killed them…”, Hiruko said in a tone that made them freeze up.

They looked utterly horrified as he looked became amused.

“As Ishtar of course. Some did survive though.”, Hiruko replied.

“Somehow I felt unsure.”, Takumi thought with a funny look.

“Gilgamesh had it coming.”, Hiruko asserted.

“I don’t even want to know what you did to the poor bastard.”, Takemaru replied as he sweat dropped.

“That seems a bit extensive.”, Takumi winced.

“Ishtar is a goddess of love and war. It’s only natural that those who spurn her face destruction.”, Hiruko replied in a joking manner.

“Goddess of war, huh? I remember Sirei mentioning that. Yeah…that fits her perfectly. Maybe I got off lucky with her just using my head as a volleyball.”, Takumi thought.

“Yama is a god of death and justice. He’s the one who determines where souls end up in Hindu mythology.”, Eito finally spoke up.

“That sounds like a really big deal. Death…Smithing…Strength…War…Now, that I think of it…what does Kronos even do besides hacking others apart like a slasher and/or eating them?”, Takumi questioned.

“Somehow your ignorance doesn’t surprise me.”, Hiruko commented.

“Glad you asked. He’s the titan of time and agriculture.”, Sirei added.

“I’m not seeing it…”, Takumi replied with a funny look.

“Why does a deity of agriculture of all things have such little chill? I’m not seeing the correlation either.”, Tsubasa questioned.

“The agriculture part is because Kronos is the son of Gaia. As an offspring of the deity of Earth it makes sense.”, Eito explained while Sirei sulked.

“What about the time part?”, Takumi questioned.

“It came from Kronos being combined with the personification of time Chronos. For many they became one and the same. Mostly because people got confused at how similar their names were. Before that the association was mostly metaphorical until it became literal by making him the personification of time.”, Eito answered.

“Does that mean I could control time?”, Takumi questioned.

“Hypothetically speaking.”, Sirei replied.

“I don’t have any memories of it but I don’t have many of his memories at all.”, Takumi replied.

“It’s probably because it was tacked on later as Aotsuki explained.”, Sirei surmised.

“Hmm…”, Takumi murmured as he looked at his hands.

“What would I do with that power? Maybe I could prevent any sort of deaths that would befall my loved ones. I want things to stay the same…”, Takumi thought.

Honestly, Takumi didn’t have anything big in mind with such an ability. Preserving the status quo of his life was as far as his thoughts went.

“And what would you do with that power exactly?”, Hiruko questioned.

“I can keep my loved ones safe. If I could go back far enough I might be able to save Darumi.”, Takumi answered.

“I see…Quite the simple answer. As I expected with you.”, Hiruko replied.

“Sounds fine with me.”, Tsubasa said.

“Yeah, then we could get her back quickly.”, Takemaru agreed.

“What if you create a time paradox though?”, Eito chimed in.

“Oh…I dunno how time works.”, Takumi replied.

“Aren’t you literally time?”, Tsubasa questioned with a funny look.

“I think it’s best to wait on plans like that. Maybe the retcon will come to you in a future dream.”, Sirei said.

“I hope so.”, Takumi replied.

“Wanna watch a movie?”, Takemaru suggested.

“Of course!”, Takumi replied looking extremely excited.

His expression was that of a dog wagging his tail. He looked quite adorable.

“I was actually watching one last night that I didn’t get to finish. It seemed pretty interesting. But uhh oh wait it’s probably in poor taste…”, Takumi suggested.

“No blood for me…”, Tsubasa replied.

“What is it like some slocky horror B movie?”, Hiruko questioned.

“No, it’s a murder mystery with a masked killer.”, Takumi answered.

“A mystery I see…That could potentially be interesting.”, Eito commented.

“I’ve only seen two kills so far and they were pretty intense.”, Takumi explained.

“Hmm…”, Hiruko looked at least a little curious.

“Those movies always make me wish I could beat the killer’s ass. They always make them somehow invincible though.”, Takemaru said.

“This guy didn’t seem invincible to me. The people he chased seemed to be able to hurt him. I think he’s just a guy in a mask.”, Takumi replied.

“Not like supernatural or anything? Like the incarnation of evil or some zombie?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“I could be wrong but he just seems like a guy to me.”, Takumi replied.

“That’s a little less scary.”, Tsubasa said.

“I got an idea. You can see the opening scene and decide based on that.”, Sirei suggested.

It sounded like a pretty good idea and they tried that. Tsubasa kept a barf bag close and at the ready. Eito looked intrigued when the killer displayed how calculating they were. Clearly it was a scheme that was planned in advance and executed flawlessly. Hiruko was the only one who was a fan of the gore. Tsubasa wasn’t looking too great at the gore, but was on the edge of her seat rooting for the girl. Takemaru looked like he wanted to enter the movie and beat up the killer.

When the final shot of the body was shown Tsubasa made sure to cover her eyes in advance. Takemaru looked stunned at it. Hiruko and Eito seemed more impressed at the murder that was pulled off.

“You holding up well Tsubasa? Ehh…”, Takumi questioned.

He realized that she was holding onto him with one hand and covering her eyes with another. This made Takumi extremely flustered.

“S-So she wasn’t the main character?! But she’s on the cover!”, Tsubasa questioned.

“Haha! Exactly! That always gets first time watchers.”, Sirei said.

“I dunno know who this guy is but I want him to get his just desserts. Killing a woman is unforgivable.”, Takemaru declared.

“I’m relieved that this seems like a more intelligent killer rather than just a mindless slaughter fest. He planned a lot in advance with the boyfriend and the timing. To know she was home alone at that time too. I think it’s likely that he’s someone she knows.” Eito said.

“That’s why I was thinking that it seemed pretty interesting. The characters are cool too.”, Takumi replied.

“I might be fine if I don’t see the dead bodies…”, Tsubasa said.

“But, that’s the best part. It’s a horror movie, that's the point.”, Hiruko replied in a teasing tone.

“Well, there’s more funny parts too so there’s that to look forward to.”, Takumi added.

Tsubasa seemed assured by the promise of more funny parts in the movie. This led them to being introduced to who seemed to be the real main character. She seemed more interested in this especially as the characters were introduced along with the drama. At the school in the movie there were news crews investigating the killing. This led to her trying to not laugh at the morbid joke the best friend character made. Eito seemed to be looking for suspects among the newly introduced friend group.

“Damn…the media shouldn’t be disrupting school like that.”, Takemaru commented.

“You…care about that?”, Takumi questioned.

“Of course. Education is important.”, Takemaru replied.

The friend group in the movie started discussing who they think the killer is.

“So, who do you think it is?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“I think it has to be a guy. The killer was really tall and strung up that girl. My best guess is Stu or Randy.”, Takumi said.

“That seems a little too obvious. I think they’re red herrings. But, I’m not sure yet either. If the movie points out that they’re suspicious, that makes me doubt myself.”, Eito replied.

“I think it’s Sidney’s boyfriend. The dude gives off bad vibes.”, Takemaru proposed.

“I think the dude’s just a horny creep.”, Tsubasa replied.

“I think it’s too early to make any assumptions. I do think that Stu is a little too obvious though. An ex boyfriend of the victim. A child could figure him out. He even has has an alibi.”, Hiruko said.

“Well, I’m trusting my gut.”, Takumi asserted.

“Are you willing to bet on that?”, Hiruko questioned.

“Hey, no gambling! That’s illegal!”, Takemaru said.

“I don’t have money anyway…”, Takumi replied.

“We could always have it be the loser does what the winner wants. That way it’s more of a competition than a bet.”, Hiruko explained.

“I guess that’s fine…that’s not illegal.”, Takemaru relented.

Did he have something in mind?

“Yeah, I’m electing not to take part. There’s no way I’ll guess who it is anyway.”, Tsubasa said.

“Does that mean I have to come to a decision now?”, Takumi questioned.

“Well, I’ve seen this movie. I can always pause at the beginning of the third act so you can lock in your guesses then.”, Sirei suggested.

“Sounds good.”, Hiruko replied.

After resuming the movie Ghoul Face targeted Sidney. Tsubasa was instantly alerted when she recognized that he was calling Sidney. Her, Takumi, and Takemaru started rooting for Sidney to escape the killer as he chased her. Thankfully she tripped him up and got away then the boyfriend came through the window and dropped his phone.

“It’s definitely him!”, Takemaru asserted.

Takemaru’s favorite part was when Sidney punched the reporter in the face. The movie continued on until the third act where everyone locked in their answers.

“I’m going with Stu. Locking it in.”, Takumi chose.

“You’re such a simpleton. It’s not going to be anyone obvious. I think it’s Gale. She’s a ruthless woman who would do anything for fame.”, Hiruko chose.

“Sounds kinda like you…”, Takumi thought with a funny look.

“I still think it’s the boyfriend. What’s his face Billy?”, Takemaru chose.

“Yeah, that’s him. What about you, Eito?”, Takumi questioned.

“I think the horror knowledge points to Randy or Billy. I can’t see the others being that knowledgeable. But, considering how much Billy has been suspected I’m unsure. There’s also the father too, but why kill a random girl? I’ll go with…this is probably a shot in the dark but I’ll go with Dewey. He seems the least scrutinized and is still quite suspicious especially for bringing his sister to a party when a killer is afoot.”, Eito chose.

When they continued into the third act, Randy laid out the rules to the cast on how to survive a horror movie:
Don’t have sex
Don’t drink or do drugs
Don’t say “I’ll be right back”

Takumi was only really familiar with the tropes through cultural osmosis but it seemed accurate to him based on his limited knowledge.

Safe to say that we were all shocked by the conclusion and weren’t sure who to call the victor. After all…there were multiple killers. That fact wasn’t too obvious until after the third act started. Hiruko looked particularly salty at not foreseeing this possibility. But, in hindsight it all added up. That’s how Ghoul Face was at so many places at once. It wasn’t a logistical issue, it was an intentional choice to foreshadow that there were two killers.

“Yeah, I was never guessing that.”, Tsubasa commented.

She, Takumi, and Takemaru were less focused on the others in the background trying to figure out who won and were more focused on rooting for Sidney. They were left pretty satisfied as Sidney turned the tables on the killers and killed them both.

“Yay! A happy ending! Mostly…that poor girl or more like several poor girls.”, Tsubasa commented.

“I liked how Sidney kicked their asses at the end! That was the best part!”, Takemaru said.

“Yeah, I’m really relieved. She’s strong to get through something like that.”, Takumi said.

She reminded him of Nozomi personally. Nozomi also held her own pretty well against that undead especially considering how many people weren’t as lucky. He hoped that she would get better soon. Takumi wanted to watch movies with Nozomi again. Probably not a slasher or a zombie movie though to avoid stirring up bad memories.

“So…who won?”, Hiruko questioned.

“Well, no one guessed two killers so I’d say no one.”, Eito replied.

This left her even more salty.

“I’ll be right back. I was thinking about checking in on Nozomi.”. Takumi said as he opened the door.

“Did you not listen to the horror movie rules that Randy laid out? You can’t go alone at night.”, Tsubasa questioned, seeming genuinely spooked.

“This is not a horror movie.”, Takumi assured.

“Wasn’t there a break in?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“Yeah, there was and I sent the demon running. I’ll be fine.”, Takumi replied, sounding a bit confident.

“Death flags. Death flags everywhere.”, Tsubasa said.

“Do you want to come with me then if you’re so concerned?”, Takumi questioned in a teasing tone.

“Ehh…but the hospital is so creepy at night.”, Tsubasa said, looking extremely nervous.

“I could go with him if you want.”, Eito suggested.

“You can’t be scared of a hospital at night, Tsubasa. You’re a goddess. Come on, you can do it.”, Takemaru encouraged her.

“Okay fine…I’d feel bad if something really did happen.”, Tsubasa replied.

“Have fun on your field trip, children.”, Hiruko teased as she sipped her wine.

Yeah, she was too tipsy to go. She enjoyed that wine too much.

So he ended up exiting into the dark halls with Tsubasa. Despite being the back up she looked very nervous and stuck closely to him. Takumi had no such issues as he just started heading to Nozomi’s room without fear. They went down the stairs to the third floor.

He knew he wasn’t invincible but he was fairly confident in his abilities now.

He thinks they’ll be fine.

Takumi decided to hold her hand to help which made her instantly flustered. His grip felt really firm and strong with some gentleness. Strong enough to keep her secure and gentle enough to not crush her hand.

“What happened to her? Nozomi I mean.”, Tsubasa asked.

“She got attacked by this undead demon that could use fire. It burned her side. The fractures and bleeding weren’t too hard to heal but not the burn. The doctors estimated that it will take her 25 days to recover after the attack.”, Takumi explained.

“That sounds horrifying…How did she even survive that?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“She’s strong, kinda like Sidney in that movie.”, Takumi answered.

Tsubasa nervously looked at the dark corners as they walked through the halls. Takumi didn’t seem particularly cautious in them and was just focused on seeing Nozomi. There were small noises but they were more the moving of wheels or one of the guards sneezing. She looked a little less nervous seeing all of the guards.

“Right, this isn’t like before at all. There’s more security and and…I’m a cyborg.”, Tsubasa thought.

Eventually Takumi stopped in front of a certain room. The guards moved aside to let him in. There they saw Nozomi resting with her side bandaged. Takumi went over to her side looking at her sleeping form. Tsubasa couldn’t help but be amazed that she got off with just a burn.

“Is she doing any better?”, Takumi questioned.

“She’s been asleep for most of the day. Her body needs it to recover. In a few days she may be able to enter physical therapy.”, doctor A answered.

“That’s a relief.”, Takumi replied.

It seemed like that was all Takumi could do. Just wait for her to recover. Takumi laid some premium chocolate he got from the party for her as a present. Most of the presents that were laid for her seemed to be snacks. There wasn’t much that Takumi could get while confined in a hospital. It was just simple things like that. Nothing too mature. He stared at it.

“Has her mom come by at all? I haven’t run into her.”, Takumi asked.

The doctor seemed taken off guard by this question.

“What’s wrong?”, Takumi questioned.

“Dr. Kirifuji is dead…She hung herself a few weeks ago.”, doctor A replied.

This left Takumi agape and Tsubasa nauseous.

“Run that one by me again? What are you saying?”, Takumi questioned.

“It’s as I said…That’s what I was told.”, doctor A replied.

“Why hasn’t she said anything?”, Takumi thought out loud.

“Maybe she couldn’t find the right opportunity? I mean a lot has happened.”, Tsubasa suggested.

“That might be it…I just wish she’d have told me so I could try to help.”, Takumi replied, sulking.

They stayed there for a little bit. It didn’t seem like he’d get the opportunity to talk to Nozomi. He was sitting by her side wondering if there was anything more he could do for her besides waiting. The doctor went outside to get a coffee. Tsubasa looked over towards the door wondering why he was gone for so long.

Creek…

Her eyes slowly widened as the door opened. A gloved hand did so. Takumi looked over instinctively. The door stuck open and they heard something clatter on the ground. Tsubasa jumped and instantly backed away. Quickly Takumi got to his feet.

SHHHHIIIIIIIIIIINNN—

BAM!

“G-Gaaaahhhhhhhwwwwwlll….”

Vrykolakas let out a pained growl as its head impacted the wall. Thankfully for it had its helmet on. Takumi’s kick sent it flying. He brandished his energy sword as Tsubasa stayed back.

“What are you doing back here? I should just kill you right now.”, Takumi questioned in a dark tone.

“Kill…Kill…”, the zombie droned.

Takumi swiped at it and it rolled out of the way. Suddenly its dynamic was flipped on it as Takumi started chasing the demon. Tsubasa wasn’t sure what to do looking really scared. She noticed the injured guard in front of the door and tried to heal him.

Vrykolakas stumbled over itself as it was chased by Takumi. It tried blocking Takumi’s view with its shadowy wings. This just made Takumi leap forward and slice at his wings. It let out a muffled gasp and tried to swing its own blade at Takumi. Unfortunately for it though Takumi was much faster than the haggard corpse. This was intercepted by a backhand that landed first and sent the demon falling down the stairs.

Its head hit the stairs behind and Takumi approached it. The blade it held fell down the next set of stairs. Vrykolakas tried crawling away. Judging by its body language including its quivering…

Was it scared of him?

“Stop…!”, Vrykolakas begged.

“Why should I?”, Takumi questioned, unamused.

He stomped harshly on the solid part of the flaming hand. The hands were twitching awkwardly clearly in pain. Takumi was extremely tempted to just chop his head off. But he had to know. He needed to understand why Nozomi was acting so weird about this thing. Takumi rather roughly grabbed his helmet as his other foot rested on its other hand.

“What the hell is this? Some sort of twisted joke? Why are you taking my form, huh? To mess with me?”, Takumi questioned.

Right he looked eerily how he used to look…but he was a rotting corpse.

Vrykolakas flinched.

“Answer me!”, Takumi demanded.

“S-Scared…Impostor…Kill impostor…”, Vrykolakas replied.

“Let’s get this straight, demon. You’re the impostor.”, Takumi insisted in a threatening tone.

The demon shook his head no and Takumi grabbed it by the collar. He felt so done with this demon.

“N-No…I-I original…”, Vrykolakas insisted.

“Then, why did you attack Nozomi?! Answer me that!”, Takumi questioned.

The unnatural glow in his eyes dulled a bit.

“I-I…attack N-Noooo…zomi? C-Can’t…r-re…member…”, Vrykolakas questioned.

“Can you talk normally?!”, Takumi questioned aggressively.

The demon seems confused and in distress. This made him calm down a bit. Something about this demon incensed him.

“What are you crying about?”, Takumi questioned.

“I-I…attacked…zomi!”, Vrykolakas seemed genuinely Warning: Spoilers for a 30 year old movie they’re watching Scream.

They were all brought back to recover and celebrate for hours in a room on the fourth floor. This time they’re together unlike the awkwardness before. Like last time they got to partake expensive food and drink. Anything they wanted really. All to make one feel like a king…or perhaps a deity. They lost track of time and sat became night.

Takumi really enjoyed the food and nice smell. They were all on the couch except Eito who sat on a separate chair.

“H-Hey Hiruko! You can’t drink!”, Takemaru shouted.

“Oh really? Ishtar is well over eighteen so I think I can.”, Hiruko retorted, before drinking expensive wine.

“I’m not sure that would hold up…”, Tsubasa replied with a funny look.

“I haven’t really thought of it like that. I try to keep my guy separate from me.”, Takumi said.

“That’s understandable…”, Eito commented.

“What did he sleep around a bunch? Curse someone? It seems like a lot of gods do that.”, Tsubasa questioned.

“He uhh ate his children.”, Takumi replied in an awkward way.

Tsubasa had a moment of realization before looking nauseous.

“Wow…okay I get it now.”, Tsubasa replied.

“My guy’s the coolest! The god of thunder and strength! He battled cosmic monsters and is a defender of the human world and the world of the gods!”, Takemaru boasted.

“Thor, right? Like the Avengers character?”, Takumi questioned, seeming stunned.

“Exactly.”, Takemaru replied.

He grinned while Hiruko’s eyebrow twitched.

“No, Thor as in the god from Norse mythology. He wasn’t made by that slop company.”, Hiruko corrected.

Takumi for his part looked stunned and somehow Takemaru too.

“It seemed accurate enough to me. Is that why I never got a memory of fighting the enemies from those movies?”, Takemaru questioned.

“You both are morons…”, Hiruko commented.

“To be fair, modern media can be just as viable for influencing how demons are as old media. As long as it influences what people think of that figure. When most people think of Thor nowadays most people think about the guy from the Marvel movies. Why if enough people have a modern character in the public consciousness they could become a demon.”, Sirei explained as he popped out.

“No way…Are you saying that we could end up facing comic book villains?”, Takumi questioned.

“Maybe. If they’re popular enough to form a demon. But you need more than just popularity. You need some sort of belief in them.”, Sirei explained.

“I see…That’s pretty crazy. I assumed all demons were just ancient monsters.”, Takumi replied.

“Demons are beings formed from the mass consciousness. They are our fears or our hopes when it comes to gods into a real tangible thing. If you’re wondering why there’s so much zombies blame the zombie nuts who manifested them into reality with their delusions!”, Sirei elaborated.

“I don’t think they knew that…”, Takumi replied.

“I really wish they didn’t…If I’m going to be honest I never heard of Brigid until I became her. Apparently she’s the goddess of smithing and poetry. That first part suits me nicely. I’ve heard of Thor through the Marvel movies. She’s nice and not too…you know.”, Tsubasa admitted.

“I may have turned a few men into animals or killed them…”, Hiruko said in a tone that made them freeze up.

They looked utterly horrified as he looked became amused.

“As Ishtar of course. Some did survive though.”, Hiruko replied.

“Somehow I felt unsure.”, Takumi thought with a funny look.

“Gilgamesh had it coming.”, Hiruko asserted.

“I don’t even want to know what you did to the poor bastard.”, Takemaru replied as he sweat dropped.

“That seems a bit extensive.”, Takumi winced.

“Ishtar is a goddess of love and war. It’s only natural that those who spurn her face destruction.”, Hiruko replied in a joking manner.

“Goddess of war, huh? I remember Sirei mentioning that. Yeah…that fits her perfectly. Maybe I got off lucky with her just using my head as a volleyball.”, Takumi thought.

“Yama is a god of death and justice. He’s the one who determines where souls end up in Hindu mythology.”, Eito finally spoke up.

“That sounds like a really big deal. Death…Smithing…Strength…War…Now, that I think of it…what does Kronos even do besides hacking others apart like a slasher and/or eating them?”, Takumi questioned.

“Somehow your ignorance doesn’t surprise me.”, Hiruko commented.

“Glad you asked. He’s the titan of time and agriculture.”, Sirei added.

“I’m not seeing it…”, Takumi replied with a funny look.

“Why does a deity of agriculture of all things have such little chill? I’m not seeing the correlation either.”, Tsubasa questioned.

“The agriculture part is because Kronos is the son of Gaia. As an offspring of the deity of Earth it makes sense.”, Eito explained while Sirei sulked.

“What about the time part?”, Takumi questioned.

“It came from Kronos being combined with the personification of time Chronos. For many they became one and the same. Mostly because people got confused at how similar their names were. Before that the association was mostly metaphorical until it became literal by making him the personification of time.”, Eito answered.

“Does that mean I could control time?”, Takumi questioned.

“Hypothetically speaking.”, Sirei replied.

“I don’t have any memories of it but I don’t have many of his memories at all.”, Takumi replied.

“It’s probably because it was tacked on later as Aotsuki explained.”, Sirei surmised.

“Hmm…”, Takumi murmured as he looked at his hands.

“What would I do with that power? Maybe I could prevent any sort of deaths that would befall my loved ones. I want things to stay the same…”, Takumi thought.

Honestly, Takumi didn’t have anything big in mind with such an ability. Preserving the status quo of his life was as far as his thoughts went.

“And what would you do with that power exactly?”, Hiruko questioned.

“I can keep my loved ones safe. If I could go back far enough I might be able to save Darumi.”, Takumi answered.

“I see…Quite the simple answer. As I expected with you.”, Hiruko replied.

“Sounds fine with me.”, Tsubasa said.

“Yeah, then we could get her back quickly.”, Takemaru agreed.

“What if you create a time paradox though?”, Eito chimed in.

“Oh…I dunno how time works.”, Takumi replied.

“Aren’t you literally time?”, Tsubasa questioned with a funny look.

“I think it’s best to wait on plans like that. Maybe the retcon will come to you in a future dream.”, Sirei said.

“I hope so.”, Takumi replied.

“Wanna watch a movie?”, Takemaru suggested.

“Of course!”, Takumi replied looking extremely excited.

His expression was that of a dog wagging his tail. He looked quite adorable.

“I was actually watching one last night that I didn’t get to finish. It seemed pretty interesting. But uhh oh wait it’s probably in poor taste…”, Takumi suggested.

“No blood for me…”, Tsubasa replied.

“What is it like some slocky horror B movie?”, Hiruko questioned.

“No, it’s a murder mystery with a masked killer.”, Takumi answered.

“A mystery I see…That could potentially be interesting.”, Eito commented.

“I’ve only seen two kills so far and they were pretty intense.”, Takumi explained.

“Hmm…”, Hiruko looked at least a little curious.

“Those movies always make me wish I could beat the killer’s ass. They always make them somehow invincible though.”, Takemaru said.

“This guy didn’t seem invincible to me. The people he chased seemed to be able to hurt him. I think he’s just a guy in a mask.”, Takumi replied.

“Not like supernatural or anything? Like the incarnation of evil or some zombie?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“I could be wrong but he just seems like a guy to me.”, Takumi replied.

“That’s a little less scary.”, Tsubasa said.

“I got an idea. You can see the opening scene and decide based on that.”, Sirei suggested.

It sounded like a pretty good idea and they tried that. Tsubasa kept a barf bag close and at the ready. Eito looked intrigued when the killer displayed how calculating they were. Clearly it was a scheme that was planned in advance and executed flawlessly. Hiruko was the only one who was a fan of the gore. Tsubasa wasn’t looking too great at the gore, but was on the edge of her seat rooting for the girl. Takemaru looked like he wanted to enter the movie and beat up the killer.

When the final shot of the body was shown Tsubasa made sure to cover her eyes in advance. Takemaru looked stunned at it. Hiruko and Eito seemed more impressed at the murder that was pulled off.

“You holding up well Tsubasa? Ehh…”, Takumi questioned.

He realized that she was holding onto him with one hand and covering her eyes with another. This made Takumi extremely flustered.

“S-So she wasn’t the main character?! But she’s on the cover!”, Tsubasa questioned.

“Haha! Exactly! That always gets first time watchers.”, Sirei said.

“I dunno know who this guy is but I want him to get his just desserts. Killing a woman is unforgivable.”, Takemaru declared.

“I’m relieved that this seems like a more intelligent killer rather than just a mindless slaughter fest. He planned a lot in advance with the boyfriend and the timing. To know she was home alone at that time too. I think it’s likely that he’s someone she knows.” Eito said.

“That’s why I was thinking that it seemed pretty interesting. The characters are cool too.”, Takumi replied.

“I might be fine if I don’t see the dead bodies…”, Tsubasa said.

“But, that’s the best part. It’s a horror movie, that's the point.”, Hiruko replied in a teasing tone.

“Well, there’s more funny parts too so there’s that to look forward to.”, Takumi added.

Tsubasa seemed assured by the promise of more funny parts in the movie. This led them to being introduced to who seemed to be the real main character. She seemed more interested in this especially as the characters were introduced along with the drama. At the school in the movie there were news crews investigating the killing. This led to her trying to not laugh at the morbid joke the best friend character made. Eito seemed to be looking for suspects among the newly introduced friend group.

“Damn…the media shouldn’t be disrupting school like that.”, Takemaru commented.

“You…care about that?”, Takumi questioned.

“Of course. Education is important.”, Takemaru replied.

The friend group in the movie started discussing who they think the killer is.

“So, who do you think it is?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“I think it has to be a guy. The killer was really tall and strung up that girl. My best guess is Stu or Randy.”, Takumi said.

“That seems a little too obvious. I think they’re red herrings. But, I’m not sure yet either. If the movie points out that they’re suspicious, that makes me doubt myself.”, Eito replied.

“I think it’s Sidney’s boyfriend. The dude gives off bad vibes.”, Takemaru proposed.

“I think the dude’s just a horny creep.”, Tsubasa replied.

“I think it’s too early to make any assumptions. I do think that Stu is a little too obvious though. An ex boyfriend of the victim. A child could figure him out. He even has has an alibi.”, Hiruko said.

“Well, I’m trusting my gut.”, Takumi asserted.

“Are you willing to bet on that?”, Hiruko questioned.

“Hey, no gambling! That’s illegal!”, Takemaru said.

“I don’t have money anyway…”, Takumi replied.

“We could always have it be the loser does what the winner wants. That way it’s more of a competition than a bet.”, Hiruko explained.

“I guess that’s fine…that’s not illegal.”, Takemaru relented.

Did he have something in mind?

“Yeah, I’m electing not to take part. There’s no way I’ll guess who it is anyway.”, Tsubasa said.

“Does that mean I have to come to a decision now?”, Takumi questioned.

“Well, I’ve seen this movie. I can always pause at the beginning of the third act so you can lock in your guesses then.”, Sirei suggested.

“Sounds good.”, Hiruko replied.

After resuming the movie Ghoul Face targeted Sidney. Tsubasa was instantly alerted when she recognized that he was calling Sidney. Her, Takumi, and Takemaru started rooting for Sidney to escape the killer as he chased her. Thankfully she tripped him up and got away then the boyfriend came through the window and dropped his phone.

“It’s definitely him!”, Takemaru asserted.

Takemaru’s favorite part was when Sidney punched the reporter in the face. The movie continued on until the third act where everyone locked in their answers.

“I’m going with Stu. Locking it in.”, Takumi chose.

“You’re such a simpleton. It’s not going to be anyone obvious. I think it’s Gale. She’s a ruthless woman who would do anything for fame.”, Hiruko chose.

“Sounds kinda like you…”, Takumi thought with a funny look.

“I still think it’s the boyfriend. What’s his face Billy?”, Takemaru chose.

“Yeah, that’s him. What about you, Eito?”, Takumi questioned.

“I think the horror knowledge points to Randy or Billy. I can’t see the others being that knowledgeable. But, considering how much Billy has been suspected I’m unsure. There’s also the father too, but why kill a random girl? I’ll go with…this is probably a shot in the dark but I’ll go with Dewey. He seems the least scrutinized and is still quite suspicious especially for bringing his sister to a party when a killer is afoot.”, Eito chose.

When they continued into the third act, Randy laid out the rules to the cast on how to survive a horror movie:
Don’t have sex
Don’t drink or do drugs
Don’t say “I’ll be right back”

Takumi was only really familiar with the tropes through cultural osmosis but it seemed accurate to him based on his limited knowledge.

Safe to say that we were all shocked by the conclusion and weren’t sure who to call the victor. After all…there were multiple killers. That fact wasn’t too obvious until after the third act started. Hiruko looked particularly salty at not foreseeing this possibility. But, in hindsight it all added up. That’s how Ghoul Face was at so many places at once. It wasn’t a logistical issue, it was an intentional choice to foreshadow that there were two killers.

“Yeah, I was never guessing that.”, Tsubasa commented.

She, Takumi, and Takemaru were less focused on the others in the background trying to figure out who won and were more focused on rooting for Sidney. They were left pretty satisfied as Sidney turned the tables on the killers and killed them both.

“Yay! A happy ending! Mostly…that poor girl or more like several poor girls.”, Tsubasa commented.

“I liked how Sidney kicked their asses at the end! That was the best part!”, Takemaru said.

“Yeah, I’m really relieved. She’s strong to get through something like that.”, Takumi said.

She reminded him of Nozomi personally. Nozomi also held her own pretty well against that undead especially considering how many people weren’t as lucky. He hoped that she would get better soon. Takumi wanted to watch movies with Nozomi again. Probably not a slasher or a zombie movie though to avoid stirring up bad memories.

“So…who won?”, Hiruko questioned.

“Well, no one guessed two killers so I’d say no one.”, Eito replied.

This left her even more salty.

“I’ll be right back. I was thinking about checking in on Nozomi.”. Takumi said as he opened the door.

“Did you not listen to the horror movie rules that Randy laid out? You can’t go alone at night.”, Tsubasa questioned, seeming genuinely spooked.

“This is not a horror movie.”, Takumi assured.

“Wasn’t there a break in?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“Yeah, there was and I sent the demon running. I’ll be fine.”, Takumi replied, sounding a bit confident.

“Death flags. Death flags everywhere.”, Tsubasa said.

“Do you want to come with me then if you’re so concerned?”, Takumi questioned in a teasing tone.

“Ehh…but the hospital is so creepy at night.”, Tsubasa said, looking extremely nervous.

“I could go with him if you want.”, Eito suggested.

“You can’t be scared of a hospital at night, Tsubasa. You’re a goddess. Come on, you can do it.”, Takemaru encouraged her.

“Okay fine…I’d feel bad if something really did happen.”, Tsubasa replied.

“Have fun on your field trip, children.”, Hiruko teased as she sipped her wine.

Yeah, she was too tipsy to go. She enjoyed that wine too much.

So he ended up exiting into the dark halls with Tsubasa. Despite being the back up she looked very nervous and stuck closely to him. Takumi had no such issues as he just started heading to Nozomi’s room without fear. They went down the stairs to the third floor.

He knew he wasn’t invincible but he was fairly confident in his abilities now.

He thinks they’ll be fine.

Takumi decided to hold her hand to help which made her instantly flustered. His grip felt really firm and strong with some gentleness. Strong enough to keep her secure and gentle enough to not crush her hand.

“What happened to her? Nozomi I mean.”, Tsubasa asked.

“She got attacked by this undead demon that could use fire. It burned her side. The fractures and bleeding weren’t too hard to heal but not the burn. The doctors estimated that it will take her 25 days to recover after the attack.”, Takumi explained.

“That sounds horrifying…How did she even survive that?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“She’s strong, kinda like Sidney in that movie.”, Takumi answered.

Tsubasa nervously looked at the dark corners as they walked through the halls. Takumi didn’t seem particularly cautious in them and was just focused on seeing Nozomi. There were small noises but they were more the moving of wheels or one of the guards sneezing. She looked a little less nervous seeing all of the guards.

“Right, this isn’t like before at all. There’s more security and and…I’m a cyborg.”, Tsubasa thought.

Eventually Takumi stopped in front of a certain room. The guards moved aside to let him in. There they saw Nozomi resting with her side bandaged. Takumi went over to her side looking at her sleeping form. Tsubasa couldn’t help but be amazed that she got off with just a burn.

“Is she doing any better?”, Takumi questioned.

“She’s been asleep for most of the day. Her body needs it to recover. In a few days she may be able to enter physical therapy.”, doctor A answered.

“That’s a relief.”, Takumi replied.

It seemed like that was all Takumi could do. Just wait for her to recover. Takumi laid some premium chocolate he got from the party for her as a present. Most of the presents that were laid for her seemed to be snacks. There wasn’t much that Takumi could get while confined in a hospital. It was just simple things like that. Nothing too mature. He stared at it.

“Has her mom come by at all? I haven’t run into her.”, Takumi asked.

The doctor seemed taken off guard by this question.

“What’s wrong?”, Takumi questioned.

“Dr. Kirifuji is dead…She hung herself a few weeks ago.”, doctor A replied.

This left Takumi agape and Tsubasa nauseous.

“Run that one by me again? What are you saying?”, Takumi questioned.

“It’s as I said…That’s what I was told.”, doctor A replied.

“Why hasn’t she said anything?”, Takumi thought out loud.

“Maybe she couldn’t find the right opportunity? I mean a lot has happened.”, Tsubasa suggested.

“That might be it…I just wish she’d have told me so I could try to help.”, Takumi replied, sulking.

They stayed there for a little bit. It didn’t seem like he’d get the opportunity to talk to Nozomi. He was sitting by her side wondering if there was anything more he could do for her besides waiting. The doctor went outside to get a coffee. Tsubasa looked over towards the door wondering why he was gone for so long.

Creek…

Her eyes slowly widened as the door opened. A gloved hand did so. Takumi looked over instinctively. The door stuck open and they heard something clatter on the ground. Tsubasa jumped and instantly backed away. Quickly Takumi got to his feet.

SHHHHIIIIIIIIIIINNN—

BAM!

“G-Gaaaahhhhhhhwwwwwlll….”

Vrykolakas let out a pained growl as its head impacted the wall. Thankfully for it had its helmet on. Takumi’s kick sent it flying. He brandished his energy sword as Tsubasa stayed back.

“What are you doing back here? I should just kill you right now.”, Takumi questioned in a dark tone.

“Kill…Kill…”, the zombie droned.

Takumi swiped at it and it rolled out of the way. Suddenly its dynamic was flipped on it as Takumi started chasing the demon. Tsubasa wasn’t sure what to do looking really scared. She noticed the injured guard in front of the door and tried to heal him.

Vrykolakas stumbled over itself as it was chased by Takumi. It tried blocking Takumi’s view with its shadowy wings. This just made Takumi leap forward and slice at his wings. It let out a muffled gasp and tried to swing its own blade at Takumi. Unfortunately for it though Takumi was much faster than the haggard corpse. This was intercepted by a backhand that landed first and sent the demon falling down the stairs.

Its head hit the stairs behind and Takumi approached it. The blade it held fell down the next set of stairs. Vrykolakas tried crawling away. Judging by its body language including its quivering…

Was it scared of him?

“Stop…!”, Vrykolakas begged.

“Why should I?”, Takumi questioned, unamused.

He stomped harshly on the solid part of the flaming hand. The hands were twitching awkwardly clearly in pain. Takumi was extremely tempted to just chop his head off. But he had to know. He needed to understand why Nozomi was acting so weird about this thing. Takumi rather roughly grabbed his helmet as his other foot rested on its other hand.

“What the hell is this? Some sort of twisted joke? Why are you taking my form, huh? To mess with me?”, Takumi questioned.

Right he looked eerily how he used to look…but he was a rotting corpse.

Vrykolakas flinched.

“Answer me!”, Takumi demanded.

“S-Scared…Impostor…Kill impostor…”, Vrykolakas replied.

“Let’s get this straight, demon. You’re the impostor.”, Takumi insisted in a threatening tone.

The demon shook his head no and Takumi grabbed it by the collar. He felt so done with this demon.

“N-No…I-I original…”, Vrykolakas insisted.

“Then, why did you attack Nozomi?! Answer me that!”, Takumi questioned.

The unnatural glow in his eyes dulled a bit.

“I-I…attack N-Noooo…zomi? C-Can’t…r-re…member…”, Vrykolakas questioned.

“Can you talk normally?!”, Takumi questioned aggressively.

The demon seems confused and in distress. This made him calm down a bit. Something about this demon incensed him.

“What are you crying about?”, Takumi questioned.

“I-I…attacked…zomi!”, Vrykolakas seemed genuinely distressed, which took Takumi aback.

His eyes seemed more clearly visible as an extremely dulled gray as if all of the color in his eyes was washed out. It was incredibly eerie. Takumi had a bad feeling.

“Is it trying to get me to lower my guard by pretending to have emotions?”, Takumi thought.

“Must…attackattackfightfightfight! M-Master demands…kill…imposter…”, Vrykolakas said, sounding unwell and hardly coherent.

“And you’d kill Nozomi?”, Takumi questioned.

He got him there. He knew well what this demon did to her. She has been recovering for over a week because of him.

“N-No….NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!”, Vrykolakas replied in a broken tone.

Takumi could feel what he was feeling and it unsettled him. It all seemed too real to be an act. This sort of raw emotion touched the core of his being. The armor made him look bigger but he was the same height as him. Still lacking barely any muscle. Clearly inept with the way he was fighting him. Just like how he was…There was a strange dark aura that clung to his body. It seemed like some sort of magic.

“You said master, right? Is that Thanatos? Do you not want to do this?”, Takumi questioned, feeling unsure of his assumptions about the demon.

Vrykolakas didn’t answer through his sobbing. He squirmed in his grip trying to get away. The undead was genuinely fearful, frantic, and distraught.

BANG!

Takumi blacked out for a moment as something hit him on the back of the head. He was disoriented and heard the demon running. There was someone behind him. Instinctively Takumi whipped around and smacked them, not getting a clear look at his attacker as his strike sent them down the stairs. He rushed over and they ran down. Vrykolakas went the other way up the stairs. The sword was back in his hand.

But instead of attacking while he had the chance the undead stood there like a deer in headlights.

Takumi wasn’t sure who to focus on as he looked between them. The undead went upstairs which is where Nozomi and Tsubasa were leading him to choose to chase Vrykolakas. Instead of going down the hall again Vrykolakas outstretched his injured wings and flew through the window.

This made Takumi stop in his tracks instinctively to avoid falling over the edge which he nearly did. He stumbled briefly and corrected himself to prevent himself from falling. By the time he looked back Vrykolakas was gone.

And he was left with so many questions…

About who attacked him besides Vrykolakas.

And also about who he really was.

Could Vrykolakas really be the original? Or was it some sort of trick? Was his soul not in his body?

Those feelings he showed him felt real.

It didn’t seem like Vrykolakas had control over his actions either. It was like he was programmed to carry out some orders likely by Thanatos. Like him he lacked control over his situation. Over his own autonomy.

No matter what the truth was they had that in common.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

He stopped on top of a building unable to stop sobbing. It hurt…It all hurt so much. Desperately he tried to regain control of his thoughts.

“I hurt…zomi…can’t be—“

Throb.

“U-Urgh! Gah!”, he cried out.

An immense pain rippled through something beyond his head violently. It was rippling through even his soul, bending and twisting it. He felt like he’d burst.

“You’re starting to sound coherent. That means you’re close to completing your maturation.”, the familiar voice of Thanatos rang in his mind.

It threatened to swallow up his soul from the inside. He couldn’t stop his trembling from hearing it.

“A-Argh…W-Who…t-there? Who’s there? W-Whazz going on?”, his speech started to stabilize more.

His eyes started to glow red again faintly as he winced.

“You are going to be playing a very special role in this divine comedy. One you should be grateful to be chosen for.”, Thanatos explained as he felt like he was choking.

How could he choke without the need to breathe?

The presence inside him felt like worms writhing within him and eating away at what remained of him. It invaded him without any ounce of sympathy or care. Devouring him from the inside and using him as a convenient vessel. It felt deeper than a mere feeling. He felt something shifting beneath his decaying skin.

“Ngh! HNGGH! Shut up! Stop it!”, Vrykolakas shouted.

His cries were simply greeted with a chilling laugh. One that vibrated through his being.

“Ah, agh, aaagh, ah…”, Vrykolakas cried.

“You should know better, son of man. You are nothing, but a mere plaything. What you want is meaningless. Your life was meaningless but your undeath has meaning. Is that not a great thing?”, Thanatos taunted.

The feeling within him was getting worse. That feeling of writhing and decaying from inside and out. He is suddenly recoiling in pain as his body is bombarded with the sensation of his death.

When he had been torn into and cut to pieces…

There was something he was doing before that. He tried to remember.

“GLH…GRRGH….AaaaAAAARRRnnnNNNNnGHHHH!”, Vrykolakas sputtered out from his mouth incoherently.

“I need you to kill all of those in that hospital. Eat anyone you can to get ready. Leave no survivors.” Thanatos ordered.

Everything within him felt like it was being scooped out like a pumpkin.

“No…! No! Noz—AAAAARG…HHHHRrrHHHHAAAAAGHHH!”, Vrykolakas screamed as he clutched his head.

No one could hear him.

No one was coming to help him.

He was all alone.

Forgotten by those who had known him.

By the world.

“I don’t…want to kill…”, a last dying gasp of a thought passed through his mind.

“Is it not only right? Those people killed you. All to use your memories to create a weapon to replace you. It's only right for you to bring death upon them all. The only thing you need to think about right now is killing and devouring to gain more strength.”, Thanatos said.

“KILL, KILL, KILL!”, Vrykolakas sounded feral as his eyes glowing red strongly.

Drool fell from his mouth like a wild animal and he bristled. His voice sounded distorted and monstrous.

“Good boy. Now to direct you to more people to eat. How about them?”, Thanatos said as he directed him towards a certain home.

Vrykolakas mindlessly did as its master demanded. It flew over to a suburban home. The one it pointed at. Soldiers started to flood in like ants as it had been detected. The demon rampaged out of control when they got in the way of his directive. This time the soldiers had better weapons and demons.

It skewered one without warning as it swooped down. Its other hand pierced straight through the torso of a weaker demon. Blood burst out from it violently. When it balled up its fist his flaming fist burned fiercely burning the demon to a crisp.

“T-That face…?”, soldier E questioned as he fired.

“The boy from the hospital?! That can’t be!”, soldier F who seemed to be female gasped.

“KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILL!!! NO SURVIVORS…!”, billowed through his decaying vocal chords.

Soldiers further away tried to report what happened. The soldiers tried to stop his weapon with his own as they clashed but he went clean through their blades like a hot knife through butter. Vrykolakas fought with increasingly animalistic chaos as he would swing his sword and launch fire from his blade. It was a long sharp blade in its own right that could easily cut through hordes of people. It could easily spill blood and leave destruction within his wake.

It was like a deranged rabies infected animal wielding a flamethrower. Vrykolakas caused wanton destruction without a second thought to rid the obstacles between it and its commands out of the way. This put them on the back foot as they tried to prevent more destruction. It greedily grabbed dead bodies trying to tear into them.

The demon flew out of reach and into the shadows as it needed to feast. To eat.

Those in the houses nearby were awoken and put into a frenzy.

“Stay in your homes!”, soldier G barked.

“Stay away from any windows and sit tight!”, soldier F added.

They turned their attention back to a feverish chomping. There was loud crunching accompanying it. Vrykolakas was on all fours as he devoured the liver of a soldier. It sat over his open stomach which looked like that of a victim of a chest burster.

With Takumi…

Tsubasa had healed the injured guards. Takumi ran back to her and Nozomi.

“Is everything okay?”, Takumi questioned.

“N-Not for all of them. I did what I could but…I can only save people who aren’t dead with my magic.”, Tsubasa replied in tears.

“Tsubasa, there’s—That’s right, the others!”, Takumi said.

He touched his ear that doubled as a communicator.

“There’s someone running around in the hospital that attacked me along with m—the black demon! Tsubasa is upstairs with me a—-“, Takumi warned.

He was stopped by Tsubasa tapping on his shoulder anxiously. Takumi looked over to see—

“B-Behind you!”, Tsubasa shouted.

He has to be hallucinating, right?

It’s the stress of the situation getting to him, right?!

That’s literally impossible…

So, anyway he was clearly staring at Ghoul Face. Black cloak and ghoulish looking green mask and all. His signature knife was covered in blood which he did that cool wiping motion with to clean off the blood.

“You’re seeing that too, right?”, Tsubasa questioned as a soldier stumbled in shock.

“Yeah, I’m seeing it. G-Ghoul Face is a movie character! How is he here?!”, Takumi questioned.

“Sirei did say that modern media characters could manifest as demons as long as enough people believe in them. Either that or someone’s playing a really sick joke on us by playing dress up!”, Tsubasa explained.

As they were talking Ghoul Face approached and without warning there was a flash of light. A lightning bolt pierced straight through his chest making him scream and thrash. They were greeted by the sight of a very pissed off Takemaru as Thor who stomped forward from upstairs. Before Ghoul Face could even hit the ground Takemaru swung at his head with his hammer with merciless blows. Each one made the slasher’s body vibrate and blood spill out of it.

SWIIINNNGGGG!!!!

BOM!

SLAM!

A particularly powerful blow sent the slasher up in the air and they heard the disgusting sound of his bones shattering. Ghoul Face was slumped on the ground like a broken doll. Takemaru delivered a final slam to his head which cracked the ground underneath and completely crushed the slasher’s head.

SPLAT!

“I-I…I guess I’ll go get the black demon then.”, Takumi said, taken aback by the sudden brutality.

He wasn’t quite used to seeing it from the others yet.

“Wait!”, Takemaru shouted as he blocked his way with his hammer.

Takumi could feel an intense rage aimed towards him. He couldn’t understand what was going on at all.

“It’s Eito’s target now. You can’t go.”, Sirei explained over the comms.

“Why? T-That thing…It’s out there—It has my face!”, Takumi questioned and Tsubasa looked anxious.

“This is too personal for you, Sumino. You aren’t in the right headspace to exterminate that demon. Clearly that demon is a trap to lure you. It’s all to mess with your head.”, Sirei elaborated.

“Enough about that demon! H-Hiruko…!”, Takemaru said, emotionally.

“What about Hiruko? What ha—”, Takumi questioned.

He was suddenly grabbed by the collar. Considering he was untransformed it was particularly threatening. Especially with how he felt about lightning. His core suddenly started pulsing incredibly fast.

“She’s dead!”, Takemaru shouted with his voice rippling through his mind like thunder.

“What…?”, Tsubasa questioned as she paled.

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Neither could Takumi. It just didn’t sound real and they literally just saw a slasher from the movie they were watching appear in real life.

“I-It was you!”, Takemaru’s voice boomed in an accusatory tone.

Both Takumi and Takumi looked at Takemaru like he’s gone mad.

In the suburban area…

There were bodies strewn apart and people running around in horror. Vrykolakas marched over to THAT house to fulfill his order. The residents were hastily trying to flee. It caught sight of them trying to go through the back. Instantly it lunged at them.

A split second decision made the distance after having heard something approaching. The man got hit to protect the woman who was likely his wife after pushing her out of the way. He got pinned down by the demon. The man had black hair and brown eyes. Those eyes were wide in immeasurable disbelief and horror as he saw the face of his attacker for a split second.

That was all he could before he was violently torn into. The woman was trembling and covering her mouth. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing and hastily closed the door. This attracted the demon’s attention who lunged forward and screamed.

“T-Takumi!”, the woman wailed with unimaginable horror.

His arm had broken through the door nearly hitting the woman that backed away. She just barely avoided getting impaled due to a moment of hesitation.

That name…

For the briefest moment it broke through a thick cloud within its mind. The demon moved its hand which it balled up and flexed to pull the door off.

“KILL, KILL, KILL!”, Vrykolakas droned in between distorted groans.

“O-Oh my god…What did they do to you? Was this the treatment?! I-Is that why you couldn’t come home?”, the woman gasped.

Within his vision he could just barely make out a woman with similar length auburn hair to him and dark colored eyes.

Wasn’t there someone like that it had known?

What about that voice?

Did it matter…?

All it could think about was serving master.

The woman in a panic tried throwing pots and pans at him. They don’t even make him flinch. It didn’t even feel it as it marched forward. She tried going out the front door but it wouldn’t budge. When she looked out the window next to it she saw a mass of bodies blocking her path. Her stomach turns as a deep regret fills her.

“Is this my fault…? Was I not watching you enough?”, she questioned

This made it pause and she uses the opportunity to rush up stairs.

“Why are you thinking? Just kill her.”, the voice of Thanatos reverberated through him.

Its thoughts had delayed it as it became refocused; it chased after her on all fours. The woman blocked the door behind her with anything she could push. She tried going out the window. The woman paled at the realization of how far the drop was and there was nothing soft to cushion her. She just tried taking her chances.

She had a better chance jumping than staying in here. Vrykolakas’ arm ripped through the door and started pushing its way in wildly, waving its blade. If it still had a semblance of a mind right now it would have realized that it could just easily vaporize the door with the weapon. Thanatos didn’t seem to bother telling it this and just watched as it tried to break into what had once been its own room.

The woman jumped and broke her leg when she fell with a very sharp—

SNAP

She covered up her mouth as she let out a muffled scream. Vrykolakas became more feral as it burst into the room. It quickly rushed to the window hissing.

It looked around for her and after not seeing her initially it tried sniffing her out. It crouched on the window in a gargoyle-like position as his demonic wings outstretched menacingly.

“Gggggggrrrrrrrrraaaaaaawwwww!!!!!”, Vrykolakas roared.

The roar sent chills through the woman who tried to remain quiet and sneak away. Her heart was beating so frantically especially as she heard someone arrive.

“Takumi…?”, Eito questioned, looking slightly roughed up already.

There was no hint of recognition in the Vrykolakas’ face. He saw what looked like such a familiar face drooling and foaming from the mouth like a diseased animal. The sounds that came from its mouth couldn’t be called anything resembling human. As it was about to reenter a real fight it’s helmet reappeared over its head.

Its eyes lacked any awareness or shame.

There was just a void.

One in which Takumi Sumino used to exist.

Behind him lingered the dark shadow of something that brought fear to all mortals. A specter that stalks after all since their birth. The deepest fear of not just them but ideas, concepts, and even ideologies. The ever marching destruction of the end of all things. An inverted tower that signaled tragedy. Not the rider of the pale horse…No, what his arrival signaled.

Eito tensed, feeling a certain chill. It may have not affected him as much as it would affect others because he was a death god too. Albeit not at his full capability. He didn’t think the other was either. The god had one foot in reality and one foot out. At most manifesting as this intangible presence.

But even with that he could tell that Thanatos wasn’t really trying. Not yet at least.

He wondered if Thanatos enjoyed the chase.

Giving his targets the hope of victory before taking it from them.

Manipulating this haggard corpse was far from optimal for killing.

Eito could tell that all of his power came from the deity. With the amount given being infinitely smaller than even 1%. Even without trying a corpse that had no business killing their soldiers, much less fighting Proto-Fiends was given the power to hold his own.

It was beyond absurd.

This was only made remotely possible by Thanatos’ power.

With Takumi…

“H-Hold it! We don’t know that! It was most likely the black demon!”, Sirei interjected.

“I think you’re forgetting that he also fits that description!”, Takemaru retorted.

“Hey, what the hell are you talking about?! I’ve been with Nozomi and Tsubasa. What makes you think it was me? I got attacked too. Someone hit me on the back of the head.”, Takumi questioned.

“Because her cuts are all seared like the kind your sword makes. T-That’s not all…Only you and Tsubasa were out and Tsubasa couldn’t kill anyone. She especially couldn’t take Hiruko out!”, Takemaru growled.

“You think I could?! She easily bullies me out of my own head and uses it as a volleyball! Do you really think I could beat her?”, Takumi questioned in disbelief.

“I-I can vouch for Takumi! The only time he wasn’t in my sight is when he chased the black demon and it wasn’t for that long. They didn’t go far either. I could hear them on the stairs clearly.”, Tsubasa defended.

“Then who could do this? We’re gods here!”, Takemaru questioned.

“I-I don’t know that part…but Takumi has an alibi. It had to have happened while we were gone, right? We were with each other for a majority of that time.”, Tsubasa explained.

“I’m not the killer! Now, let me go! I need to catch that demon!”, Takumi asserted.

Click!

The two looked unsettled as Takumi’s eyes faded out when he was shut off. His body went limp in Takemaru’s hands.

“We can determine his innocence by looking through the data. He can’t pose any threat like this after all. So, there shouldn’t be any issues. Everyone should be comfortable.”, Sirei said.

If they had anything to say they avoided saying it under fear of getting turned off next.

Thus Takumi’s limp body was carried off.

Once they were out of the way, Sirei started typing on the terminal with other doctors also doing so behind the reinforced glass. Tsubasa was brought to see the shocking sight. It didn’t seem real but Hiruko was strung up with her stomach being cut open by a hot weapon. Some of her internal wiring spilled out. Her eyes had faded out. Tsubasa stumbled over herself as she saw her.

“Her body is still here…M-Maybe I can try to fix her. I mean…most of her body is intact unlike Darumi.”, Tsubasa suggested.

“You think that’s possible?”, Takemaru questioned.

“It’s worth a shot.”, Tsubasa suggested.

She didn’t think it was entirely a pipe dream. Considering there was no actual blood or guts she felt more calm as she assessed Hiruko’s condition. There was certainly a debate to be made if they were more machine than human. As a mechanic Tsubasa could repair machines. Something she very much noticed is that she was put in the same condition as the girl at the beginning of the movie she watched.

That created a key problem for killing Hiruko though and created the possibility of bringing her back.

They couldn’t die from the same things that normally killed people.

That really got Tsubasa thinking.

A human couldn’t survive these injuries but a robot was another story. She got help to take Hiruko down and focused her efforts on her theory about bringing her back. Best case scenario fixing her body could bring her back. Maybe Ishtar would be drawn back to the body through a summoning.

Takemaru just marched around the hospital trying to see if anything showed up again.

“What?!”, Sirei questioned, enraged.

“I-I’m sorry, Sirei…He has Thanatos’ power.”, Eito replied, coming back injured.

“That’s absurd! Sumino cleaned his clock in base! I saw it in his memory banks!”, Sirei shouted.

“You…saw his memories?”, Eito questioned.

Sirei started explaining as he walked over to the prone deactivated Takumi.

“Well, you’re all part machine so yeah of course I can. As a support for your brain your mainframe stores memories in it. This is all for your safety of course. We can pluck out things you might not immediately recall to allow you to catch demons.”, Sirei explained.

“I see…W-Well at the very least I get him to retreat.”, Eito replied.

“Thank goodness…I’ll hold you to that, Aotsuki. I’m checking.”, Sirei said.

He went out of view to call. This left Eito with Takumi’s body. As Sirei made his call he looked over at him. Wires were plugged into his body to connect him to the system so that his memories may be read. They were almost like puppet strings…which seemed fitting for him. There was another plug at the back of his head which seemed to be normally obscured by his hair. There was at least some sort of respect given by closing his eyes. Eito hadn’t gotten to really see his uncovered Proto-Fiend form very much and especially not up close. His hand trailed against the metal which was mostly smooth outside of the indents showing the energy that flowed within him. They looked like scars.

A body truly like the statues that people would make but metal and capable of motion. Takumi’s newer body didn’t have much wear if at all compared to them. Nozomi maintained him well, keeping him looking as good as new. He supposed that is what to expect when love was involved rather than it simply being a job. While he wasn’t quite an expert on robotics even he could tell that there was quite the attentiveness put in.

He was well aware of Takumi’s recent training. For him to still look this good with Nozomi out of condition he must be improving quite a lot. Sirei had said that he handled Vrykolakas quite easily in his base. That was quite the rapid improvement considering what he heard about his initial training in this form.

Eito removed his hands not wanting to have them linger. Though he supposed touching his chest was a bit…He had simply been curious. There was a very simple smile on his face. He seemed satisfied to see that he was well taken care of.

Upon looking at his face he felt something that was difficult to describe. His face was human but not quite. It certainly had all of the elements of a human face including appearance and texture…but there was a major detail that threw that off. It was just two perfectly symmetrical…no blemishes…He looked like he was sculpted. As perfect as fictional characters people drew.

Humans chased perfection with their appearance but never quite reached it. It just wasn’t possible for humans to obtain for themselves. The body was too unpredictable.

But with a machine there was a certain order. Perfection was possible there as long as the one building was skilled enough. His mind registers them all more like statues or dolls. Clearly intended to look human but not quite due to this. Like art pieces given life.

So to Eito Aotsuki, Takumi Sumino didn’t look human to him.

None of the Proto-Fiends did.

“Beautiful…”, he thought.

For a brief moment he wondered if there was really a human brain there. If that was the case then Takumi couldn’t be fully off. His brain would need the support of machines to stay alive.

A frown formed on his face.

“I suppose I already know the answer.”, Eito thought.
He may have been a bit inherently skeptical. For him what Future Foundation said didn’t hold much water. As their weapons the organization would say anything they need to control them.

“Seems like he’s really retreated. Good thing. Though, this is going to be quite the annoyance to deal with. Hmm? Don’t tell me you were thinking of kissing the sleeping prince there.”, Sirei said.

“Of course not.”, Eito replied, dryly.

“Well, I better continue err—Y-You…found what now?!”, Sirei questioned, seeming to be hearing something from a scientist.

“His memory banks of that time period come back as blurred nonsense. That’s what we’re seeing.”

But how was that possible? Takumi clearly has those memories.

And just what did that mean?

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Tsubasa was left waiting to try to operate on Hiruko until the proper evidence was recovered. They seemed to all be compiled on some pads they had. A woman with lavender hair walked over to her to ask some questions. She was someone she recognized.

“Can you tell me your account, Tsubasa?”, she asked.

“Alright…We were all watching a movie together around 7ish I think. It might have been an hour or two. Takumi wanted to check on his girlfriend and I was pretty spooked out by the movie and the break in so I ended up going with him. I was with Takumi for a decent amount of time. The only time he wasn’t was when he chased the black demon away from the room. That might have been a little over 5 minutes at most. The fight didn’t sound like it was close. I heard the demon fall down the stairs and there was a bang noise a little bit after and someone else fell down the stairs. Takumi said that he got hit on the back of the head so that might have been that noise. It sounds like it was someone separate from the demon.”, Tsubasa explained.

-Evidence #1: Tsubasa’s Account-

She takes rather thorough notes of this. A young man with brown hair walks over to her and squats down to where she’s sitting.

“That means the two of them were on the third floor. The murder took place on the fourth. It sounds like both are accounted for.”, the woman thought.

“Did you hear anything else weird?”, the man asked.

“Anything else? I heard something not too big sliding down the stairs. I think something else fell down when the demon went down the stairs. Takumi also talked to it briefly afterwards the demon fled from him and flew out the window, breaking it. Takumi tried to chase after it and nearly fell out of the building when he tried.”, Tsubasa answered.

-Evidence #2 Dropped Demon And Object-

“Really? Why is that? I thought your unit was trained to not negotiate with demons. It’s not a necessity for you.”, the woman questioned.

“Uhh…”, Tsubasa trailed off as she looked uncomfortable.

“Tsubasa, if we’re to get to the bottom of this case you need to tell us everything. Did you hear anything compromising from that conversation? If you were threatened, that can be addressed.”, the woman insisted.

“No, it’s not that…It’s just the conversation they were having was. From what I heard the black demon’s true face looks like Takumi. They started having an argument about which of them is the original…”, Tsubasa whispered.

“What…?”, the woman questioned with wide eyes.

The man’s jaw was open and they looked in between each other.

“Their conversation had nothing to do with the case. I-It was a really personal one…”, Tsubasa replied as she looked nauseous.

“Hey, Tsubasa. It’s going to be okay.”, the man assured as he patted her back.

“That does make me wonder…It could just be a trick but what of the black demon really is Takumi? Not the Takumi I know or I was with but…you know. If he is then…Makoto, what does that mean about us?”, Tsubasa questioned, looking pale.

“It’s probably nothing. You…you guys are yourselves.”, Makoto assured as the woman gave him a look.

“I hope so…I don’t really have much information to help—Wait…”, Tsubasa said as she was wiping her tears.

“What is it?”, the woman questioned.

“I looked at Hiruko’s body briefly. I didn’t think the damage to her was that bad. Well…for us at least. Those kinds of injuries would certainly kill a human but Hiruko seems repairable to me.”, Tsubasa explained.

-Evidence #3: Superficial Damage?-

“That might be a pretty important piece of information!”, Makoto gasps.

The woman cupped her chin.

“That implies that the culprit may not be familiar with facing robotic opponents or they thought that Shizuhara is human. These kinds of cuts are used to kill humans.”, the woman surmised.

“But, if that is the case then how is she dead?”, Makoto questioned.

“I’m really confused about that too. I don’t know if there’s any further damage that I just couldn’t see at first. It doesn’t seem like she should be dead.”, Tsubasa replied.

The woman took a mental note of this and beckoned Tsubasa up. She took a brief moment to question the soldiers with Tsubasa. They confirmed her account and whereabouts. She had been healing them after the demon attacked and they heard some of what she heard. Likely not hearing as much due to less acute hearing. There was something else though…

-Evidence #4: Confirmation of Tsubasa’s Account-

There was something else though…

“I was near the stairs and fell something whist past me from up the stairs. It didn’t make a sound. W-Whatever it was killed my buddy before I could even process it. It didn’t seem to see me but it saw him.”, the soldier explained.

-Evidence #5: Something From Upstairs-

“O-Oh…I didn’t hear that. It might have been because I was focused on Takumi’s conversation because…you know.”, Tsubasa commented.

The woman and Makoto checked for the item that fell. They didn’t find the item. But, they found something else that could be important. The stairs were seared and melted at some parts.

-Evidence #6: Seared Stairs-

“What’s important about the item?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“It could be important. It’s currently unknown what fell. I’m not sure how it plays into what happened yet, but it could provide some insight.”, Makoto explained.

They moved to the crime scene.

“I need you to take a look at her. My specialty lies with hu—flesh and blood victims. You would be able to find out more from her body. I’m not sure that I would particularly trust the other mechanics here anyway.”, she explained.

“What do you mean? We work here! We wouldn’t want our work to go down the drain!”, worker A argued.

“I wouldn’t say that. Everyone here is a suspect. We just happen to have multiple testimonies of where Tsubasa has been. That eliminates her from the suspect list. That makes her more trustworthy to look at her.”, she explained.

Tsubasa looked sheepish and the workers stared at her. They seemed annoyed to be brushed away from the scene by the detective in favor of Tsubasa doing their job.

“You’re really throwing us aside for robots?!”, worker B questioned.

“This is bullshit…She’s like 17.”, worker C cursed.

Takemaru passed by on his patrol. The workers instantly flinched from seeing how pissed off his looked. He clearly looked like he wanted to hit someone. Makoto cautiously approached him as the woman turned to look.

“Hey Takemaru, we’re investigating this crime right now. Can you tell us anything?”, Makoto questioned.

“I think it was Takumi.”, Takemaru replied.

“You’re still on that?!”, Tsubasa questioned.

“I got to thinking about it more and Hiruko got tipsy from the wine. That might have given him the edge he needed to beat her.”, Takemaru explained.

-Evidence #7: Hiruko’s Drunkenness-

“I was with him! That’s impossible!”, Tsubasa argued.

“You weren’t with him the whole time! You admitted that! We’re fast. He could have done it quickly especially when she’s like that.”, Takemaru argued.

-Evidence #8: Proto-Fiend Speed-

“She was drunk? You can get drunk?”, the woman questioned.

“Her face was all red and she was giggling so I’d say so.”, Takemaru answered.

“When was the last time you saw Hiruko? We need a full scope of the situation.”, the woman asked.

“She said something about using wax to slick down a cowlick. Then, she wandered out of the room a while after they left to go to sleep. I offered to walk her back and she just laughed at me. Damn it…I should have just ignored her and taken her anyway. Considering we were all ready to turn in anyway, me and Eito left a bit after her. Not much was happening after all with her and the other two gone.”, Takemaru explained.

“So, you were all gone…Do either of you have an alibi?”, the woman asked.

“I wouldn’t say I have much of one. I was heading to my room here and saw Hiruko like that. Eito got sent to go after that demon Takumi was fighting by Sirei. I don’t know when that was exactly but it’s real suspicious that the demon got away especially without him having any injuries.”, Takemaru answered.

-Evidence #9: Takemaru’s Account-

“Speaking of which, where are those two?”, the woman asked.

“Eito might not be back yet and Takumi’s having his memories searched by Sirei. Then, we’ll know for sure.”, Takemaru replied.

…
…
…

“Confoundit! We don’t know for sure…It looks like there was sabotage.”, Sirei said.

It seemed to be later with everyone in the same room with an unconscious Takumi except Makoto who was keeping guard of Hiruko’s body. Takemaru was glaring at him. The woman suggested that they don’t let Takumi out of sight. No one working there tonight was allowed to leave the hospital. They were all kept in sight.

“Someone messed with Takumi’s recent memories for about an hour. He’s not broken so it couldn’t have been recorded wrong. That’s not all. The cameras were sabotaged too.”, Sirei went on.

-Evidence #10: Takumi’s Amnesia-

“But, how is that possible? Takumi seemed fine when he was with me. He wasn’t having any issues.”, Tsubasa explained.

“It seems clear that someone must have sabotaged his memories afterwards. As I expected there’s a traitor or possibly traitors among your number. Takumi’s memories were scrambled to likely implicate him. Had the killer truly been him I doubt he’d use a method that would so easily implicate himself. Besides…if he really wanted us dead just him transforming in the hospital could crush everyone in it especially when off guard.”, the woman explained.

“Or they’re covering for him! I mean they literally had her killed in the same way as the movie we watched!”, Takemaru argued.

-Evidence #11: Movie Recreation-

“Has the killer seen the movie then?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“Likely. That also makes it far too obvious that they’re trying to pin it on him. What movie did you watch?”, the woman replied.

“Shriek. Some whodunnit slasher kinda like what’s happening right now.”, Takemaru answered.

“Hmm…I would like to question Takumi himself. Before that we need Eito’s testimony.”, the woman said.

“Oh me. I’m not really sure about the exact timing so I don’t think I could provide much of an alibi. I left with Takemaru to go to the room I stayed at when I was living here. After that I got a message from Sirei. The demon was in the hospital so I was to chase after it. By the time I got there it was gone so I had to go to where it fled to the suburbs.”, Eito answered.

-Evidence #12: Eito’s Testimony-

“Did either of you hear something going down the stairs after you left?”, the woman questioned.

“Down the stairs…I think there was something at some point. Something heavy and lighter fell I think. It was before I found Hiruko. Then after that something else heavy fell.”, Takemaru replied.

“I just thought someone dropped something. People can be clumsy sometimes.”, Eito added.

“Let’s see what Takumi remembers after his memory was corrupted. It might provide something.”, the woman said.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to turn him on if he’s sabotaged? I don’t think he did it but someone could have hidden some malware in him after we checked his memories.”, Sirei questioned.

“We have three Proto-Fiends and a Devil Summoner. The saboteur is in this building with us. They can’t have him using his full power or they'll get caught up in it too so we’ll be fine.”, the woman assured.

“I guess this is why you’re the Ultimate Detective, Kyoko. Alright, I’ll turn him on.”, Sirei replied.

Before he did he made sure to unplug him.

Click!

When he did, Takumi's eyelids flickered. They looked a bit cautious as he woke up. Absolute gibberish slipped out of his mouth and his eyes looked far away. He was drooling from his mouth looking half conscious. Gradually his mind started to clear up.

“Nozomi…how would a dog wear pants?”, spilled out of his mouth sounding almost drunk.

“He doesn’t look good…”, Tsubasa commented.

“Takumi, are you alright?”, Eito questioned.

Takumi’s eyes blinked rapidly as he came through. His mind buffered before reloading.

“Huh? Where am I? What’s going on?”, Takumi questioned.

“What’s the last thing you remember?”, Kyoko asked.

“I umm…I think I left with Tsubasa then everything got fuzzy. Yeah…we were heading to see Nozomi.”, Takumi answered.

“Do you feel anything strange? Your memory files got corrupted.”, Kyoko questioned.

“My memory files?! M-My head is a bit hazy…That’s about it.”, Takumi admitted.

“I would suggest for you to get checked up on, but that’s what did this to you.”, Eito said.

Takumi looked visibly confused and they caught him up to speed. His confusion soon turned to horror.

“Hiruko’s dead?! But how is that possible?!”, Takumi questioned in shock.

“It looks like you don’t remember that part either…”, Tsubasa commented.

“It’s best if you see her body. That should convince you.”, Kyoko suggested.

Takumi agreed and was led to the crime scene which was under tight watch by surveillance including Makoto. He was given one of those pads to review the relevant evidence. The teen was left absolutely horrified at the sight. His jaw visibly fell. It looked like he couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing. Makoto gave Takumi a sympathetic look.

“Oh no Hiruko…”, Eito gasped, looking pale.

“It’s just like what was done to Casey in the movie.”, Tsubasa mentioned.

“It can’t be a coincidence! You watched some of that movie before us! It gave you the idea!”, Takemaru asserted.

Takumi was silent as he slowly walked over to Hiruko’s body. His mind was still having a hard time processing it. He looked over her wounds. They were uniquely thin seared lacerations similar to the kind his sword left. They seemed way thinner than his though.

-Evidence #13: Seared Lacerations-

The confusion and disbelief in his mind only grew as he really looked at them.

“From what we’ve been able to gleam it doesn’t seem like there was struggle. It’s likely that she was completely caught off guard in her altered mental state.”, Kyoko explained.

-Evidence #14: No Struggle-

He narrowed his eyes.

“How is that possible?”, Takumi questioned.

“She just explained that…”, Tsubasa replied.

“No…I mean even if Hiruko was drunk no person could just do this to her. Not to mention…these cuts are all so surface level.”, Takumi explained as he looked over her.

He stared at her blank eyes. They were just like how he was when he was turned off. Her wiring was out but it didn’t look too bad to him at least.

-Evidence #15: Blank Eyes-

“What are you saying?”, Takemaru questioned.

“I don’t think she should be dead from this.”, Takumi said.

“Well, clearly she is.”, Takemaru asserted.

He was going to speak his thoughts but his intuition warned him against it.

Did he distrust the others?

No…

They were in this together but…

Kronos’ memories fill him with doubt. A choking doubt and suspicion that he can’t drop. Those memories latch onto his consciousness like a ball and chain. They were a warning.

Anyone could betray…

Even his lover. Even his own mother. That's what those memories told him. There was no certainty.

Takumi shakes his head trying to mentally assure himself but it won’t go away.

“What’s the point of gutting Hiruko when she has no guts or blood? A person can bleed out or die from exposure quickly but a machine…I mean she has wires but they don’t look bad.”, Takumi thought.

He wasn’t exactly an expert on this kind of thing but it just felt wrong to him. Unconsciously his hands shifted checking for signs of life. Takemaru was kept back from lunging at him for touching her body.

“There’s no energy flowing within her though. Did she get hit somewhere I’m not seeing?”, Takumi thought.

He ended up walking around her hung up body to get a much fuller view. For a moment he flinched as he heard a calculation sound in his mind. He was taken aback as his immersion of humanity was shattered. His eyes reflected it with the circles around his eyes shifting as he analyzed her body. Okay, so he can analyze machines too apparently. There weren't any injuries he detected on the back. Nor could he find any internal injuries. Just like he thought. The wires weren’t cut or anything they just spilled out but were still connected.

No signs of defensive injuries…

Killing blow is unclear is what came back to him. But, how was that possible? No matter how his mind tried to calculate it, the method was unclear. It’s not as if her internal mechanisms were hit…

Yet here she lies…dead.

That was an incredibly puzzling mystery in of itself much less the actual murder.

-Evidence #16: No Clear Cause of Death-

Takumi took the time to read the evidence compiled on the pad hoping it would make sense to him. While it gave him a deeper understanding of the situation he wasn’t sure how this all fit together. It certainly didn’t help him understand how Hiruko died. It seemed that Kyoko just added a piece of evidence that could be relevant. A map of the hospital. The hospital had eight floors, two stairs, and two elevators.

-Evidence #17: Floor Plan-

“This doesn’t make sense to me…”, Takumi admitted, shaken.

“You’re not the only one. I thought that she would be fine too. Maybe I’m just overestimating us. But…you think the same thing.”, Tsubasa replied.

“I have a theory.”, Eito said.

This drew all of their attention.

“I feel like even if she was drunk while she wouldn’t be able to respond as well she certainly would. Unless they were as powerful as us she would undoubtedly have the speed advantage.”, Eito explained.

“So, then what are you saying?”, Takemaru questioned.

“Look at her eyes. Have you seen eyes like that before?”, Eito questioned.

“I don’t really wanna…”, Tsubasa replied.

“They’re blank.”, Takumi said.

“Now that I think of it, Takumi's eyes were like that when he got shut off.”, Takemaru mentioned.

Kyoko and Makoto’s eyes widened at this.

“I think someone shut Hiruko off before they attacked her. That’s why she couldn’t do anything at all. We just saw that Takumi’s memories just got scrambled. It stands to reason that the saboteur or an ally of theirs is among those who checked on Takumi.”, Eito explained.

-Evidence #18: Hiruko Was Shut Off-

“Way ahead of ya. They’re all trapped by guards right now.”, Sirei said as he popped in.

“Then, it’s best we question them. As he said it could be the saboteur or an accomplice. But, take heed even if we catch the saboteur I don’t believe the saboteur and the attacker are one and the same.”, Kyoko explained.

“What makes you say that?”, Sirei questioned.

“The timing. Am I safe to assume that the Proto-Fiends can’t just be shut off by some remote? That would be a massive liability.”, Kyoko replied.

“That’s correct. Outside of the terminal only I can shut them off remotely.”, Sirei confirmed.

-Evidence #19: Shut Off Methods-

“You can shut us off?!”, Takumi questioned, looking quite horrified.

That made a dread fill him. He felt even less human now. His eyes scan and do targeting and now this.

“We can talk about that later. We need to find the accomplice to our fiendish slasher. I’d venture to say this is just like Shriek. So we all need to be careful.”, Sirei said.

They hastily followed Sirei into the room where they were kept. This led them to a room full of scientists. Takumi wasn’t sure how they could tell who had done it. It didn’t help that he didn’t know their names.

“One of you in here is an accomplice to the killing of Hiruko Shizuhara. You better fess up or you’re not leaving this room.”, Sirei threatened.

“This is ridiculous…It’s not as if we can prove a negative.”, doctor B said.

“W-What are you going to do to us? We’re scientists. We don’t know anything about finding a culprit.”, doctor C questioned.

“Did any of you see a coworker acting suspicious? Any unknown drives or something of the like?”, Kyoko questioned.

“I didn’t see anything like that.”, doctor A replied.

“You were all in the same room! One of you would have had to see something!”, Takemaru said in a threatening tone.

This made the scientists look nervous especially as he glared at them.

“One of you got Hiruko killed, now fess up or I’ll beat you into a pile of sludge!”, Takemaru threatened.

Takumi flinched as he heard a rumbling through even the ceiling of the residential complex. Sweat unconsciously fell from his brow and his eyes darted to him nervously. He was too deep into combat before for Medusa’s to shake him but in his normal state of mind the sounds of thunder made him nervous unconsciously.

It made him think of his father and his son…

“N-No…I’m not Kronos. They’re not mine. Focus.”, Takumi thought.

Like before telling his mind this didn’t help. These memories’ grip were too strong on his psyche. It made him feel tense around the angered Takemaru more than he’d normally be. His body felt almost grid locked in a defensive position.

Throb. Throb. Throb.

“P-Please don’t attack us! I-I have a daughter! Please…”, scientist C begged.

“Takemaru, I know you’re upset but you can’t kill them. They’re human.”, Tsubasa asserted.

Takemaru looked back with a wrathful gaze that made them flinch. His eyes felt like a storm aimed directly at them. Tsubasa nearly gagged and shut up instantly. Kyoko looked cautious and Sirei looked nervous. Eito looked concerned and Takumi visually flinched. This anger felt like something more. As if seeing it was an ill omen.

On the edge of Takumi’s consciousness there was a sense of heightened awareness for a moment. In that brief moment he didn’t feel like himself. He felt disturbingly calm.

“That’s right…they’re gods. This is normal for them. To them mortals are mere playthings.”, a thought crossed his mind.

“H-Hey, she’s right…I’m sure that we can determine the accomplice and arrest them. We just need to get everybody’s testimonies.”, Eito said.

“I…I won’t let people be treated that way. Human lives are precious.”, Takumi thought as he felt more like himself.

Resolve and conviction filled him.

“We need to talk to them. You need to calm down, Takemaru. Right now you aren’t in the right headspace. They all have family just like us and we need them to tell us who they’re working with. The truth would die with them.”, Takumi said as he faced his glare.

“You damn punk…You’re really stepping to me right now? I’m not in the mood.”, Takemaru replied in a dangerous tone.

“Calm down. Your mind is being influenced by Thor right now. I can tell.”, Takumi pointed out.

Takemaru grabbed him by the collar. Takumi’s hand twitched almost grabbing Takemaru’s hand before he stopped.

“Bullshit! You’re the only one who could have killed her…We don’t need a confession about who the killer is. Both assholes are here. I could get both at once! It will be simple!”, Takemaru declared with stormy eyes as the sound of thunder got louder.

Sirei looked unsure on whether to intervene.

“I won’t let you do that. Not in here especially. This place is connected to the electrical grid. What do you think would happen if you just threw a lightning bolt into it?”, Takumi replied.

Takumi didn’t back down and Tsubasa looked increasingly nervous. Kyoko seemed oddly interested as she cupped her chin.

“We shouldn’t be fighting each other. We’re all comrades here.”, Eito said.

“I’m not comrades with the one who killed Hiruko!”, Takemaru barked.

“I didn’t kill her. I wouldn’t and I couldn’t. Tsubasa said I was with her.”, Takumi replied.

“Not the whole time. We’re all fast. You could have made it back easily.”, Takemaru reminded.

“There’s a piece of evidence I would like to call attention to on the topic. Tsubasa said that they separated when Takumi chased a demon that attacked them. She said that the demon fell down the stairs. But, something else fell too. I didn’t find the item during my investigation.”, Kyoko said.

“What the hell does that have to do with this?!”, Takemaru questioned.

“It acts as an indicator of time. None of you know the exact time when everything happened but you all heard the falling. You said that it happened before you found Hiruko. There was also a second sound after Hiruko was found so that wasn’t her body falling.”, Kyoko explained.

Kyoko noticed how Takumi’s eyes widened a bit at this information.

“So, that could help us determine who could have been there to kill Hiruko…”, Takumi realized.

She nodded, seeming satisfied.

“What demon was I fighting?”, Takumi asked.

“The same one that hospitalized Kirifuji.”, Sirei answered.

That made Takumi’s mind pop for a moment. A horrifying revelation washed over him. He realized something key about this case.

“I know what the murder weapon is. If I’m right then everyone could be a suspect.”, he said.

To be continued…

Evidence List
-Evidence #1: Tsubasa’s Account: She was with Takumi for most of the time. They briefly separated when Takumi chased a demon. Tsubasa overheard them having a conversation. After their conversation the demon fled and Takumi gave chase. The demon flew out of the window and they reunited.-
-Evidence #2 Dropped Demon And Object: The demon Takumi was fighting fell down the stairs along with a smaller item. After a bang sound someone else fell down the stairs. This was heard by multiple people before Hiruko was found.-
-Evidence #3: Superficial Damage?: Hiruko’s damage seems to be superficial for a Proto-Fiend. The damage could kill a human but is unlikely to kill them. The killer is likely not familiar with mechanical victims. Tsubasa believes that she could fix her.-
-Evidence #4: Confirmation of Tsubasa’s Account: The soldiers backed up Tsubasa’s whereabouts and her testimony. It’s safe to say that her testimony is trustworthy.-
-Evidence #5: Something From Upstairs: Something whistled past a soldier, likely at great speed. It was more than just the wind because it killed his partner who was in his view. It didn’t make a sound either. Tsubasa only overheard what was happening with Takumi because she was focused on his conversation.-
-Evidence #6: Seared Stairs: Parts of the stairs where the demon fell are seared and melted.
-Evidence #7: Hiruko’s Drunkenness: Hiruko was drunk when the murder took place.-
-Evidence #8: Proto-Fiend Speed: Proto-Fiends are much faster than even those with Demonicas. They can perform speed feats which would normally seem implausible.-
-Evidence #9: Takemaru’s Account: He left with Eito after Hiruko left. He heard the falling, then found Hiruko. According to him Takumi has no injuries from his fight which has been confirmed.-
-Evidence #10: Takumi’s Amnesia: Takumi’s memory was scrambled by an accomplice to the killer. He doesn’t remember the last hour. It’s unknown if there was further sabotage. However it seems that this occurred after Takumi’s memories were scanned. He had no trouble with his memory before that.-
-Evidence #11: Movie Recreation: The killer recreated a scene from the movie Shriek which the Proto-Fiends watched together.-
-Evidence #12: Eito’s Testimony: He left with Takemaru, heard the noise, and left to carry out Sirei’s orders.-
-Evidence #13: Seared Lacerations:
Hiruko’s wounds are seared and thin. She seems to have been attacked by a high temperature blade.-
-Evidence #14: No Struggle: There are no signs of struggle. Hiruko was taken down instantly. Even if she was drunk her reaction should have been faster than a normal human.-
-Evidence #15: Blank Eyes: Her eyes are like the eyes of Proto-Fiends upon being shut down.-
-Evidence #16: No Clear Cause of Death: Hiruko’s cause of death can’t currently be determined.-
-Evidence #17: Floor Plan-
-Evidence #18: Hiruko Was Shut Off: Hiruko was likely shut off when the murder occurred. Takumi’s amnesia proves that there is an accomplice who has this kind of access to the Proto-Fiend’s functions. It is currently a theory but is possible.-
-Evidence #19: Shut Off Methods: Only Sirei or the terminal can shut off the Proto-Fiends. That means the accomplice must be among the ones that had access. They’re likely the same person who sabotaged Takumi’s memories.-

Chapter Text

Evidence List
-Evidence #1: Tsubasa’s Account: She was with Takumi for most of the time. They briefly separated when Takumi chased a demon. Tsubasa overheard them having a conversation. After their conversation the demon fled and Takumi gave chase. Takumi claimed to be hit on the back of the head. The demon flew out of the window and they reunited.-
-Evidence #2 Dropped Demon And Object: The demon Takumi was fighting fell down the stairs along with a smaller item. After a bang sound someone else fell down the stairs. This was heard by multiple people before Hiruko was found.-
-Evidence #3: Superficial Damage?: Hiruko’s damage seems to be superficial for a Proto-Fiend. The damage could kill a human but is unlikely to kill them. The killer is likely not familiar with mechanical victims. Tsubasa believes that she could fix her.-
-Evidence #4: Confirmation of Tsubasa’s Account: The soldiers backed up Tsubasa’s whereabouts and her testimony. It’s safe to say that her testimony is trustworthy.-
-Evidence #5: Something From Upstairs: Something whistled past a soldier, likely at great speed. It was more than just the wind because it killed his partner who was in his view. It didn’t make a sound either. Tsubasa only overheard what was happening with Takumi because she was focused on his conversation.-
-Evidence #6: Seared Stairs: Parts of the stairs where the demon fell are seared and melted.
-Evidence #7: Hiruko’s Drunkenness: Hiruko was drunk when the murder took place.-
-Evidence #8: Proto-Fiend Speed: Proto-Fiends are much faster than even those with Demonicas. They can perform speed feats which would normally seem implausible.-
-Evidence #9: Takemaru’s Account: He left with Eito after Hiruko left. He heard the falling, then found Hiruko. According to him Takumi has no injuries from his fight which has been confirmed.-
-Evidence #10: Takumi’s Amnesia: Takumi’s memory was scrambled by an accomplice to the killer. He doesn’t remember the last hour. It’s unknown if there was further sabotage. However it seems that this occurred after Takumi’s memories were scanned. He had no trouble with his memory before that.-
-Evidence #11: Movie Recreation: The killer recreated a scene from the movie Shriek which the Proto-Fiends watched together.-
-Evidence #12: Eito’s Testimony: He left with Takemaru, heard the noise, and left to carry out Sirei’s orders.-
-Evidence #13: Seared Lacerations:
Hiruko’s wounds are seared and thin. She seems to have been attacked by a high temperature blade.-
-Evidence #14: No Struggle: There are no signs of struggle. Hiruko was taken down instantly. Even if she was drunk her reaction should have been faster than a normal human.-
-Evidence #15: Blank Eyes: Her eyes are like the eyes of Proto-Fiends upon being shut down.-
-Evidence #16: No Clear Cause of Death: Hiruko’s cause of death can’t currently be determined.-
-Evidence #17: Floor Plan-
-Evidence #18: Hiruko Was Shut Off: Hiruko was likely shut off when the murder occurred. Takumi’s amnesia proves that there is an accomplice who has this kind of access to the Proto-Fiend’s functions. It is currently a theory but is possible.-
-Evidence #19: Shut Off Methods: Only Sirei or the terminal can shut off the Proto-Fiends. That means the accomplice must be among the ones that had access. They’re likely the same person who sabotaged Takumi’s memories.-

“That’s what Randy said…”, Tsubasa commented.

“The murder weapon is the weapon of Vrykolakas the black demon. He has a sword similar to mine. He has a blade of blue flames. There’s footage to prove it.”, Takumi explained.

-Evidence #19: The Murder Weapon-

Click!

They look over to see Sirei projecting the recording. It showed a black demon knight with an azure flame blade. It was a thin blade much thinner than Takumi’s circular lightsaber. The blade made cuts in the walls in people exactly like wounds Hiruko had. This left Takemaru stunned.

“Then if Hiruko was turned off and that blade became available for anyone to use then…You’re right. Almost anyone here could be the killer.”, Eito gasped.

“Question is where did it go? Surely it must be in the hospital somewhere.”, Kyoko proposed.

Takemaru looked unsure of himself and lowered Takumi slightly at the prospect that he could not be the killer.

“So, did the demon kill Hiruko then?”, Takemaru questioned.

“It depends on the time of the murder. But, his fight with the demon clears up one question. It’s impossible for Takumi Sumino to be the murderer.”, Kyoko said.

“Why’s that?!”, Takemaru questioned.

“He has an ironclad alibi that multiple people can attest to. He was with Tsubasa for most of the time when they split up. After that he chased and fought a demon. Tsubasa heard their whole confrontation even if she didn’t see it. That same demon fled from Takumi and went through the window. When he wasn’t with Tsubasa he was fighting the demon. We know that Tsubasa isn’t lying because the soldiers and doctors on the same floor back up her claims. They also corroborate Tsubasa’s whereabouts. She was healing the people injured by the demon.”, Kyoko explained.

Takemaru gritted his teeth and his eyes were shadowed. His fist was clenched before he let go of Takumi. Takumi looked rather thankful for this.

“Thanks. I think we can possibly figure out where the sword went.”, Takumi replied.

“Enlighten me.”, she replied.

“Eito, you were ordered to go after the demon, right? After it escaped? That’s what it said in your testimony. Did it have the sword with it?”, Takumi asked.

“That’s right. It’s very possible that it could have done the deed. Potentially before it encountered you.”, Eito replied.

“That makes it seem very likely that the demon is the culprit.”, Tsubasa surmised.

“Possibly…but I have doubts.”, Kyoko replied.

She added something she has to the evidence pool. They looked at what she sent. This made Tsubasa throw up on the spot when she saw the pictures.

-Evidence #20: Demon’s Victims-

“Are you okay?”, Takumi questioned.

“F-Fine…”, Tsubasa replied.

“This is the way that the demon leaves their victims when it succeeds in killing them. This is from footage gathered from it killing soldiers on guard outside of the barrier. The demon Vrykolakas opens up the bodies of its victims much more savagely than what was seen with Hiruko. It takes out their organs and eats them but Hiruko has no internal damage.”, Kyoko explained.

This made Takumi look nervous.

“You’re saying this wasn’t the demon…?”, Takumi questioned, nervously.

That meant that the killer certainly had to be among them if it wasn’t the intruder.

“Maybe it was the Ghoul Face we ran into.”, Tsubasa proposed.

Kyoko looked confused by this.

“Sorry I forgot about it in everything going on. It’s a demon that Takemaru killed. If it’s based on Ghoul Face then it should know how Casey was killed to recreate the murder. Maybe it picked up the sword and used it to kill Hiruko before it ran into us.”, Tsubasa explained.

“That is a possibility.”, Kyoko agreed.

“Then the killer isn’t one of us.”, Takumi cheered, looking very excited.

“That hasn’t been decided yet. We simply have another suspect to add to the list.”, Kyoko replied in a matter of fact way.

Takumi sulked at this.

“If it’s the killer then the killer is already dead.”, Takemaru commented.

“If it’s the killer. It could be another cover for the real killer. Speaking of what Tsubasa mentioned, she did mention a bang sound in her testimony separate from the falling. Do you think that was Hiruko falling? I would also like to understand how the demon escaped Takumi if he had it cornered on the stairs. He has no visible injuries.”, Kyoko questioned.

“Uhh I can’t remember how it got away from me so I’m not much help.”, Takumi replied.

“Maybe it was able to when you got hit on the back of your head. That might have been that bang sound I heard. From how you worded it, someone else besides the demon hit you then something fell down the stairs. It may have been you or the attacker that fell.”, Tsubasa proposed.

-Evidence #21: Takumi’s Attacker-

“I would think that it’s Ghoul Face but…why hit Takumi on the back of the head instead of killing him?”, Tsubasa questioned.

“Possibly because he seems to be set up to look like the killer. For that reason Takumi was left alive. It’s very likely that the killer had the murder weapon with them at the time. As we discussed, the kill is inconsistent with how Vrykolakas kills. That makes it unlikely that it’s the killer. If it’s not then that means that the murder had to have taken place while Vrykolakas didn’t have its weapon.”, Kyoko explained.

“That would mean the murder took place within those five minutes?!”, Tsubasa gasped.

“Correct. It’s also very likely that the one who attacked Hiruko and the one who attacked Takumi are the same person. I believe that they had likely already killed Hiruko at that point. Hiruko was found on the fourth floor. Considering the killer hit Takumi from behind it’s likely that they came from the fourth where they killed Hiruko. That would position them behind Takumi to hit him on the back of the head. What’s more there’s something that whist past a soldier at extreme speeds and killed his partner. It must have been the killer trying to make sure that no one saw them. But, they were in a rush to get back down stairs.”, Kyoko replied.

“So, they ran into me and panicked, then hit me on the back of the head.”, Takumi surmised.

“Why were they going down the stairs though? Just to flee the scene.”, Tsubasa questioned.

“…”

“Is something wrong, Takumi?”, Tsubasa questioned.

They turned their attention to Takumi who paled.

“You said they whisked past them and killed them, right? It was all super fast…To have that much speed. The culprit has to…have the same level of power as us.”, Takumi surmised.

Everyone except Kyoko looked horrified. She wasn’t shocked having come to this conclusion herself.

“It’s the defining piece of evidence. The killer has to be at the level of capability as the Proto-Fiends.”, Kyoko agreed.

“I don’t think Ghoul Face was that strong. It couldn’t react to Takemaru…It got completely manhandled.”, Tsubasa admitted.

“I can attest to that. That demon was really weak. It was probably like level 5. A soldier should have been able to handle it with no trouble.”, Takemaru added.

“That leaves only two suspects. Takemaru and Eito. Both of you lack solid alibis and would have been on the fourth floor.”, Kyoko said.

“What?! You’re suspecting us? We’re all comrades here…We couldn’t be the killer. Not just because of this but because the murder weapon fell down stairs. Both of us were on the fourth floor. That means that the murder weapon was out of reach. Not without alerting Takumi. You’re proposing that the killer went past Takumi twice.”, Eito argued.

Takumi thought about Eito’s words and quickly reviewed the information in his head.

“No, that’s wrong.”, Takumi replied in a distracted tone.

“The elevators would be too slow but there’s two sets of stairs. We know that the killer wasn’t heard when they went down the stairs. Who’s to say that they didn’t go up or down the second set of stairs? The sound of the murder weapon falling was heard by multiple people. It’s not out of the question that they investigated it. They could have taken it and easily overheard me with the demon. When they did so they could have gone up the second staircase especially with our level of speed.”, Takumi pointed out.

“Takumi…Are you wanting to suspect your comrades?”, Eito questioned in shock.

Takumi became immediately defensive.

“I don’t want to…but this murder could only be carried out by someone as superhuman as us. Let’s review what happened.”, Takumi replied.

He tried to ignore the intrusive thoughts and organized the information in his head. It went faster than he ever expected. His mind organized everything together like a super computer in seconds.

“We all watched Shriek together. Then, I left with Tsubasa to see Nozomi on the third floor. According to Takemaru’s account you all left well after we did. First Hiruko then you two. At some point the demon attacked us on the third floor. I chased after the demon who fell down the stairs along with its weapon. That weapon became the murder weapon after the killer overheard the noise it made when it fell. They grabbed the murder weapon and likely went up the other set of stairs to avoid me seeing them. Then, they went to the fourth floor with their immense speed and killed Hiruko while she was shut off. Afterwards they went down the stairs and hit me on the back of the head. Then, one of us fell down the stairs.”, Takumi summarized.

“That’s assuming that is an accurate timeline of events. We aren’t certain what came first. Your concussion or Hiruko’s murder. It may not be the correct order of events.”, Eito replied.

Takumi exhales.

“The murderer slipped up.”, Takumi said.

This made a few in the room nervous.

“What are you talking about?”, Takemaru questioned, seeming lost.

“It was clear that the murderer was rushing. I don’t think things went exactly as they planned. Think about it. We got that account of something going down the stairs from a survivor of the killer. The killer didn’t take the time to stop and look around the whole area to notice them.”, Takumi explained.

“That means that in their rush they probably forgot that you were on the stairs and panicked.”, Tsubasa realized.

“That’s right. They went down the closest stairs in their view. Considering they recovered the murder weapon without me noticing they had to have known I was there. But in the heat of the moment they forgot when they were trying to leave the crime scene.”, Takumi explained.

“That's plausible. There would be no reason for them to panic unless they had already taken action. If they hadn’t then they could have just used another murder weapon. Running by Takumi would have drawn unnecessary suspicion to themselves. I believe the key to finding out who the killer is lies in why they had to go down the stairs. ”, Kyoko commented.

“So, how does this point to who the killer is?”, Takemaru questioned.

“In the end it depends on if they knocked down Takumi before or after the murder. Were they going downstairs to get the murder weapon or were they going downstairs to return it to the demon?”, Eito said.

“I think the murder already happened as has been laid out by Kyoko. The murderer panicked because they already committed the murder. That’s why they left behind such evidence. As for why they went down the stairs…”, Takumi replied.

Takumi focused hard on this.

Why did the killer go downstairs?

It had to be something that happened unexpectedly. Maybe someone almost saw them. Or was it something else? They could have potentially flown out especially if the cameras were sabotaged. Perhaps that was too risky because people were likely to hear the glass breaking.

The killer didn’t make a sound as they moved but people could feel the wind generated by their movement. That meant they were likely trying to be careful as they stepped down the stairs. Moving without making a sound with their bodies was possible. Takumi dipped his toes into doing that very thing against Hiruko.

Even if they were tip-toeing it was possible with how much faster they were to move past someone without them seeing, especially if they were transformed.

Since sabotage was on the table it was possible that one of them could have been made to kill Hiruko so that wouldn’t bar them from killing her. There was something that drifted to his mind as he tried to distinguish who was most capable of the murder. This murder took the ability to adapt on the fly and fore planning.

“I have the answer.”, Takumi declared as he opened his eyes again.

“W-What?!”, Takemaru questioned.

Sirei whistled, seeming impressed.

“Any of us could have committed this murder regardless of how we feel. That’s because physically speaking we are machines. We can be turned off and have our memory files sabotaged. Considering sabotage is already a factor in the murder it’s not a leap in logic. Clearly aspects of this murder were pre-planned. Hiruko was targeted and shut off by their accomplice. There was already some plan in mind to kill her.”, Takumi explained.

“But, how does that determine who is the killer?”, Eito questioned.

This made one of the scientists shift nervously.

“The murderer couldn’t have known that they would get access to the murder weapon the way they did unless they’re psychic. I think they adapted on the fly when they found the demon’s weapon. The sword was close enough to mine to use to frame me. That’s probably part of why the murderer set up the killing like the movie and had the saboteur sabotage my memory. This was something they put together quickly I think. That means that they had to be very cunning.”, Takumi explained.

“Then…”, Tsubasa said.

Kyoko nodded.

“Eito, you got ordered to do something by Sirei, right?”, Takumi brought up.

Eito’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“That’s right. I asked him to chase after the demon because he has more experience with his powers to avoid collateral damage.”, Sirei backed up.

“Also because I couldn’t let your conversation continue.”, the mascot thought.

“That’s right, you said that you were sent to go after it while it was still in the hospital. After the bang someone else fell down the stairs.”, Tsubasa reminded.

“That must have made you think that it wasn’t with Takumi anymore. When it was, you panicked. That’s because you had the murder weapon on you which you intended to give back to the demon.”, Kyoko explained.

“You had to listen to Sirei or you would look suspicious. It would be odd if you took awhile to appear on the scene of where the demon was. That means you had to hurry down the stairs from the fourth floor. You thought I wasn’t with the demon anymore because Sirei ordered you to chase it while it was still in the hospital. You intended to give the murder weapon back to get rid of it. Without me that would be easy. But, you didn’t account for me being there. Combined with that and being in a rush you panicked and hit me. Then, one of us fell down the stairs.”, Takumi explained.

Takumi pointed his finger forward in a way that seemed familiar to Kyoko.

“It all lines up. I don’t want to accuse you…but based on the evidence it seems that you're Hiruko's murderer, Eito. Your own testimony points to you.”, Takumi declared.

“W-What…? My own testimony…To think it would make me look suspicious…”, Eito said, stunned.

“Is that true Eito?”, Takemaru questioned, looking under.

“…”, Eito was quiet, clearly deep in thought.

It was unclear what he was thinking about exactly. There was a movement and before thinking twice the Proto-Fiend’s moved. Takemaru grabbed doctor A’s arm with bruising force and he howled. He was trying to hit a button on the terminal. Doctor D pulled out what looked like a stun gun hastily and Takumi broke his arm confiscating the weapon. The other doctors looked shocked as a few more tried to do something in a desperate final gambit.

In what seemed like an instant they were all on the ground.

Takumi’s fist cracked their bones leaving them reeling on the ground.

“I suppose this is good enough.”, Eito said.

They looked confused as he tied up the doctors who were stopped. He checked them for any sort of communication equipment and destroyed what he found.

“What are you doing, Eito?! You were supposed to stop them!”, doctor A questioned, furiously.

“About that…”, Eito replied.

“I-I don’t get it…Weren’t you reprogrammed?”, Takemaru questioned.

“That was just a theory. Knowing that he wasn’t and just double crossed his accomplices, I think it’s safe to say that Shizuhara isn’t actually dead.”, Kyoko replied.

“W-What…?”, Takumi questioned.

Many of them looked stunned.

“It’s true. I didn’t kill Hiruko. I just made it look like she died. It needed to be convincing. Unfortunately that meant killing that poor man.”, Eito admitted.

“The hell did you do that for?! Just what have you been doing, Eito?”, Takemaru questioned as he picked up Eito by the collar.

“I’m really confused.”, Tsubasa said, looking nauseous.

“I’m a double agent. I’ve been pretending to work with the Anti-Preservation faction. It was all so that I could find out who infiltrated Future Foundation.”, Eito explained.

“Like a spy movie?!”, Tsubasa questioned.

“We have enough to interrogate to find out if there’s any more.”, Eito said.

“So, you faked killing Hiruko…? That explains why I couldn’t figure out what killed her.”, Takumi replied.

“To those who have only ever dealt with human bodies it would look fatal. I made sure not to hit anything important. I made sure to be pretty careful when moving parts of her out to look spilled. Thankfully she’s made out some pretty sturdy material so that helped.”, Eito explained.

“That means she’s okay!”, Takemaru said, sounding relieved.

“Why didn’t you tell your commanding officer this, Eito?!”, Sirei questioned in exasperation.

“I didn’t want the chance of it leaking. They had to be convinced that I was on their side. Considering you could view my memories I was worried about whether you knew or not. That could have given me away. Though, I’d like to keep the sanctity of my own mind regardless. Alas it seems I got exposed anyway. I’m quite impressed.”, Eito replied.

Takumi looked flustered at the praise. He looked at him when he said that clearly aiming it towards him.

“Sorry…”, Takumi murmured.

“B-But why…? Why did you become a dog of Future Foundation? You don’t hate humanity anymore? What about your righteous eyes?”, doctor A questioned.

“I did feel that way at a time. But, after becoming a Proto-Fiend I don’t feel the same way. I suppose it might be the influence of Yama. Condemning the entirety of humanity for the actions of a few is madness. People should be judged as individuals for their actions. That’s what I started to feel.”, Eito explained.

“The influence of Yama? But, surely the god of justice must understand…”, doctor D questioned.

“The Anti-Preservation faction is faction that infiltrated the Akihabara Residential District from outside believes that humanity deserves to die for their sins throughout history. They believe that the apocalypse is a sign that it’s humanity’s time to go.”, Kyoko explained.

“That’s just dumb! Not everyone was a part of that!”, Takemaru said.

“There’s really people that think that?”, Tsubasa questioned, looking nauseous.

“The memories of what’s basically a powerful demon made a human heart better? How is that possible? Can demons have hearts? Not to mention...humans were behind this plot. They want to kill each other…I’m…really confused. That sounds like the plot of some movie. That actually happens? This doesn’t make sense.”, Takumi thought.

He supposed that he lived a very sheltered life in the Residential District. His only exposure to violence was through media before becoming a guard and that was only against demons. The boy’s eyes were wide and innocent.

“You don’t understand anything! Everyone in here is sheltered from what the real world is like! You’re all under the thumb of Future Foundation! Have you even gotten to wander outside of this tiny corner of Tokyo?”, doctor D said.

“Tokyo…? Like from old media?”, Takumi questioned, obliviously.

“We’re all in a district of Tokyo that Future Foundation has control of. This is not the only one. There is more.”, Eito revealed.

“There’s more? I guess that makes sense. I remember a place really far away from Akihabara and there are other places that were supposedly real in media.”, Tsubasa replied.

“Tokyo has tunnels under it which were once used for travel between its districts. They had what are known as trains. They were able to get in through it.”, Eito explained.

“There’s another way in here?!”, Takumi questioned.

“It’s meant to be top secret…”, Sirei said, annoyed.

“You’re all gods…You just have seen the depravity of humanity. You must know that they’re evil better than anyone. Why would you protect them?”, doctor E questioned.

“Obviously because we know better. Besides we’re human.”, Takemaru replied.

“What part of you is human?! You’re all machines with the m—“, doctor E was saying.

SHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Before Takumi knew it his body moved. He didn’t know what he was doing. It felt like he was possessed. His hand was in a chopping form and beheaded doctor E. Takumi’s mind was incredibly fuzzy. For a moment his eyes appeared a glowing red. There was a powerful presence pulsing from him. Something ancient and divine.

“T-Takumi…?”, Tsubasa questioned.

Takumi felt warmth on his hand.

Drip…

Drip…

Drip…

“I won’t let you disturb my pleasant dream.”

Who said that?

His mind faded out. He felt himself suddenly yanked into a deep darkness from which he slumbered. A comfortable and pleasant slumber.

When he next awoke he found himself in bed in his clothes. Takumi’s mind felt incredibly fuzzy even after rousing. He remembers exposing the truth and catching the enemy. His hand drifted over his face, whipping his sweat.

There had been a lot to process. Hiruko wasn’t really dead, Eito was a spy, there were traitors among them, a human faction that wanted to kill humanity, the black demon was out there somewhere, Eito was going to frame him, his memory was erased, and…and…

He thinks everyone got hurt. Perhaps some sort of magic attack went off.

Takumi’s hands gripped his sink. He looked at his own reflection to see foggy eyes. His mind also lingered on the realization of how mechanical he was now.

“You’re Takumi Sumino aren’t you…?”, Takumi questioned himself.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

“Thank goodness you’re awake! It was an absolute disaster. Some traitors summoned demons to attack you all. But, thankfully you hung on long enough to kill them and we got their location from their little saboteurs. However the others are being repaired right now.”, Sirei explained, after popping out.

“Are they okay?!”, Takumi questioned, genuinely concerned.

That was really surprising to him considering how strong they are but he supposed they were off guard. Maybe that was it…

“They will be. It won’t take too long to prepare, but the Anti-Preservation faction is bound to attack with them indisposed. I need you to kill them, soldier. Those people are deranged. Their minds have been poisoned by demons which have made them a threat to humanity. To the people you love.”, Sirei ordered in a serious tone.

“Kill them…?”, Takumi questioned.

He looked unsure at the idea of killing humans. Demons were one thing but…

“They’re a threat y—I shouldn’t hesitate.People who would wipe out their own species…They’re no different…I need to protect Nozomi. I need to kill…kill, kill…”, he thought.

Takumi massaged his aching head scared of these thoughts.

Where did they come from?

Was he really like that?

Takumi’s core pulsed in a distressed manner. His eyes were slightly red for a moment.

“Shh don’t resist that bloodlust within you. You need it to do what you have to do to protect everyone.”, Sirei said.

“D-Did you do something to my head?!”, Takumi questioned, clearly distressed.

“Nothing at all. This is what you feel, Sumino. It’s only a natural response after what they did. You despise them for it. That’s where this bloodlust is coming from. From your desire to protect what’s precious to you. After all, you must have realized that they’ll leave no human alive including your parents and Kirifuji. You don’t want them to be hurt by them do you?”, Sirei explained.

“N-No! I’ll protect them!”, Takumi asserted in a desperate manner.

“Then, there’s no need to think about what you must do. You must defeat the vile and barbaric enemy. The enemies of humanity.”, Sirei replied.

“That’s right…but…but aren’t they people with families too?”, Takumi questioned.

“Do you think people like that would propagate the race they hate? People who get caught up in that kind of thing are those who have no one that would miss them. If they had people they cared for they wouldn’t be doing this. It’s best to just think of their lot as demons.”, Sirei answered.

“Think of them as demons…”, Takumi murmured.

“That’s right. They’re demons. Humans who turn against humanity are no different than demons. They want to kill everyone including countless innocents. Babies even.”, Sirei said, close to his ear.

“They’re demons…To want to kill everyone including innocents…They’re not human…I need to kill them. I shouldn’t consider them as human…If they’re demons, killing them doesn’t matter. They’re just monsters anyway. I need to kill them…Kill the demons.”, Takumi mentally tried to convince himself as he exhaled.

“You are a champion of humanity. You’re to be their hero. Heroes must slay demons to protect the innocent.”, Sirei said.

Takumi looked over to Sirei.

“Now go and get justice for your comrades. Their location has been sent to you. It will be like shooting fish in a barrel. Leave no survivors.”, Sirei said.

“C-Can…can I really do that?”, Takumi questioned, feeling unsure no matter how much he tried to convince himself that it was fine.

Even with Sirei saying that they’re just demons it still felt daunting. He didn’t want to kill a human. Just the act of trying to dehumanize them in his mind made him feel sick. It just didn’t stick. It felt wrong and he felt dirty and disgusting from attempting to justify it.

“Of course you can. You just need to channel the Kronos part of you.”, Sirei assured.

“I need to channel Kronos…?”, Takumi questioned.

He’s done that intentionally before and it didn’t go so well. It led to him saying things he didn’t mean and having little control over himself.

“That’s right. In daily life you are Sumino, but in battle you're Kronos. He’s given you a killing instinct. One which you can use for good.”, Sirei replied.

He supposed it did work against Hya—

Throb.

His head really started to hurt. It felt like his head was being busted into violently. Then, something slipped into the cracks of his consciousness. He could feel power rising up inside him. Power he didn’t know he had. When it filled him he felt invincible…and his mind became incredibly foggy. Red became visible in his pupils.

He feels himself relaxing. His hands are balled up as that primordial power flowed through his body. There was a conviction within him. A frightening one.

Was he smiling?

He’s not sure. There’s something on the edge of his consciousness. Something that allowed him to abandon his hesitation. Takumi found himself heading there. He didn’t need to think about where. There was a GPS in his head. It felt like he was on autopilot as his body moved through the streets. He was so fast that he wasn’t seen by bystanders. They did feel a wind brush past them though. Unintentionally this ended up burning off his clothes. He’ll need to replace them. The friction created by his own speed set his body ablaze.

Without the comfort of his clothes he felt more inhuman as the bare metal flesh was exposed.

When he checked the clock function in his mind he saw that a minute didn’t pass. Yet he was already here. He swung the door of the building open.

“He—Huh?”, a person at the desk said in confusion.

He could swear that someone walked through the doors. There was a sound but the door was closed. The man had muscles and scars hidden under baggy clothing.

“Gawpp…”

The man grabbed at his throat as he felt a stinging and burning pain in his throat. There was a massive searing gash. His eyes widened with horror. One the table was his comp which he used to summon demons. He doesn’t know when it got there but it was broken. His guns were on the counter too.

Just when…?

A person sitting watching the cameras had some coffee and donuts. He looked checked out, likely having done an overnight shift. The man was brought out of his stupor as the cameras rapidly went dark. This made him jump up. There was rapid panicking as they started to notice so many pools of blood that the halls were starting to flood. Those that are lucky summoned their demons quickly. They summoned law or chaos aligned demons. Many of them being of the dark variant along with angels. They gathered together before the boss’ door in an united front.

“I feel the presence of an ancient evil…”, Angel said.

“It goes without saying that this demon is strong indeed. I’ll have their head.”, Horkos commented.

“None shall stop humanity from receiving their rightful judgement.”, Morax declared.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

A single person came into view. It was Takumi looking for more targets.

“It feels like there’s someone else in my head...Is t-this…”, Takumi thought, before noticing them.

His grip on his blade tightened. The target was locked on. This made his wandering thoughts halt. It was time to hunt his prey…With that his moment of clarity ended. He slowed his advance in a dramatic manner standing alone in his part of the blood soaked hallway.

“…”, he was silent as he approached.

Bullets and rocket launchers fired at him from behind the demons. The demons guarded their summoners with their bodies acting as shields. It wasn’t too dissimilar from old musket formations.

It felt so slow to him. They would honestly have an easier time mailing him the ammo. Even with their speed enchanted by the summoning program it all felt as if it was in slow motion. He kicked the rockets and turned them around.

Demons approached him intently, especially the angels. He could feel their fear. Even if they hid it behind their faces which might as well have been iron masks he could still tell.

Smirk.

More power slipped out of his body. It was surging and overflowing like wildfire. His arms swung with such force that it ripped through the angels’ bodies with ease. They didn’t suffer. Quick and decisive blows were a mercy he offered them. Takumi…wanted to offer mercy. The other enjoyed itself. He focused on demons that were listed as resistant to fire in some way and those that immediately attacked like the angels. Feathers fell and there was seldom a cry of pain. Takumi was covered in blood and he felt his body smirking.

Quickly the humans tried to escape as they were overwhelmed by fear. This destroyed their formation. Their rockets were turned against them and their demons were being cut down with such frightening ease. Takumi saw light magic being cast. It got nowhere near him. Instead he would dodge and it would hit another demon burning them up from inside.

He couldn’t let any of them escape.

Fire swelled around him as if he was about to transform. The hellfire that came from his body absolutely devoured everything in his immediate vicinity. Any demons that were intentionally left alive due to their lack of resistance towards it or those fleeing. They were all reduced to ashes.

But he quickly reverted back before his height could grow higher than the ceiling.

Takumi stood alone in a room that once held other life. His eyes were glowing an overpowering red that swallowed the blues of his eyes. The power that overwhelmed his senses felt good…Really good. It made his mind fuzzy. The blaze burned away all of the blood including the pool. He was completely spotless. One would not think that he was covered in blood just a moment ago. His consciousness felt distant.

“Mmm…”, Takumi murmured.

He rapidly blinked as he came back to himself.

“What…? What was I doing…?”, Takumi murmured.

His eyes landed on the door. Hand already on the handle and turning it.

“Right…I was exterminating the enemy. I can’t show them mercy…They’re just like demons.”, Takumi said as his tone became deeper and more threatening.

“There’s no need for me to think about it…They want to kill humanity. It’s my job to exterminate them.”, Takumi thought hazily.

His other self was there with an overpowering grip over him. Takumi couldn’t do anything at all. It was much stronger than him. It dominated him with ease making him feel completely stuck unable to wiggle out even an inch. Fear lingered on the edge of Takumi’s consciousness. When the other filled him his fear washed away. What was left was absolute confidence and assuredness.

“You are my possession…”, there weren't words but he could feel that idea echoing through his being.

It was with a level of possessiveness that he couldn’t even describe. It seemed to really want him…

“Yes…right now I’m Kronos. I’m going to destroy my enemy.”, Takumi thought, hazily.

Takumi entered a surprisingly massive room. It looks like he could transform in there without taking off the roof. He looked around with his scanners searching for life. There was a rumbling of thunder that instantly made him tense up.

A divine presence could be felt. With a flash the Kunitsukami Take-Minakata appeared before him. He had green skin, pointed ears, curved horns, pronounced bottom fangs, black hair, red eyes, and traditional Japanese garb.

Takumi tensed and felt more clarity in his mind. His being hissed at the presence of a storm god. The god stood before him radiating more power than the other opponents he’s faced in here. A screen lit up behind him.

“What brings you here, doll of humanity? How did you even know where this place is?”, the man on the screen questioned.

His voice was distorted by a voice changer and the screen depicted an obviously fake generic silhouette of a person.

“Where are you?”, Takumi asked.

This makes the man laugh.

“You think I’ll tell you so you can assassinate me too? I’m gone, far away from here.”, he asserted.

“You’re trying to wipe up humanity so I’m going to stop you!”, Takumi declared.

“Is that so? The only one who has killed humans here is you. You are simply a weapon of Future Foundation that lacks control over your own life. It’s pitiable. Humans did this to you. You were a proud aspect of nature that has been bent to mankind’s will like so many others. As is their natures.”, the man replied.

“Save me your sophistry.”, Takumi replied, unamused.

The other gave him the information on what a sophist was.

Right, who was the other? Who was putting this information in his head? Was it…Kronos?

More of himself spilled forth when not in active combat. This shifted ominousness into earnestness.

“I’m Takumi. I was given this power so that I can protect the people close to me. I’m not some aspect of nature. I’m a human.”, Takumi asserted, earnestly.

“You’ve been given the identity of a teenage boy. How humorous. Perhaps a battle with the kind of god you loathe will knock something loose.”, the man replied.

“He best pray that I only knock that loose and not all of the bolts and wires in your body, Karakuri Ningyo.”, Take-Minakata said.

This made a murderous presence rise up within his body. The anger didn’t feel like it came from him but he felt it and was enveloped in it. He didn’t feel a need to resist the urge to spout out the smartass retorts that rose within his mind. Takumi bore no respect for this lot…The threats to his loved ones.

“Did I just hear a Z list deity talking? The nerve. I can sense your divinity but I’m afraid you’re so irrelevant that I don’t even know who you are.”, Takumi retorted, with his restraint completely nonexistent.

“Z list…?! I am war that people wage and storm that tears apart all without discrimination. I am Take-Minakata.”, Take-Minakata replied, angrily, his voice rumbling like thunder.

“Oh another war god. How original.”, Takumi scoffs, dismissively.

This was enough to get the deity to lunge at him like a lightning bolt. Takumi’s response was to transform right then. The deity screamed as he hastily flew away from it. It was weak to fire. He felt his mouth forming a devilish grin. The power spread throughout his body and took over. He could feel it flowing through those scars.

Just as he thought his head didn’t hit the ceiling. There was a decent distance between them. The other deity was as tiny compared to him. Like a little bug he could just squash.

“Destroy him. Physically, mentally, spiritually.”, a demand ripped throughout his being.

Lightning was fired at him which incensed him more. They were all so tiny it was hard to keep track of. But, he’s grown used to dealing with his opponents being so small. When he was in tune with the world around him evasion was useless.

He beat this into the wargod. His titanic fist impacted him with speed he wasn’t expecting. Just enough to send him slamming into the wall. The deity got back up to fight. Good.

“This strength is nothing compared to Take-Mikazuchi.”, Take-Minakata commented.

With newfound confidence he tried striking where he looked to be weak. Unfortunately for him he had to do it from afar lest his heat cook him. This severely handicapped Take-Minakata. Takumi kept swatting him down like a fly and he kept getting back up. The lightning did burn but it wasn’t too bad. It went largely ignored by the elation filling him. The little god’s confidence grew more and more. He became more bold. Perfect.

His hands grasped Take-Minakata into a fist. He squirmed in his fist using the last of his lightning to try to get out. But, he didn’t budge. This made shock and panic fill him.

“To a primordial like me you’re nothing but a bug.”, his distorted voice boomed but those weren’t his words.

He couldn’t control what he was saying nor could he control his hands which squeezed tighter. The pressure increased ever so slightly over time. When he shifted his fingers more pressure was applied to different parts of his body making the small god wince in pain.

“T-There is something wrong! I-I can’t control my body…I feel like a passenger—No, it’s like I’m being held hostage. S-Someone stop…”, Takumi mentally panicked.

He’s never felt more scared in his life and he felt himself being twisted and dominated from within. There came the power pulsing within him. Surging…Making him feel so good as he as he—He needed to stop. Takumi wanted to stop but he couldn’t control it. A wickedness filled him as he tried to hold onto his own feelings and stop them from being overwritten as well. He could feel it taking over his mind.

“D-Devil…Kishin…”, Take-Minakata winced in pain.

The twisted smirk on his face deepened as he broke his body. Parts of the god started to melt when touching the molten cracks. He didn’t know why this felt so amusing to him. Just that it did and with it came a distorted laughter.

“Hehe…Hehehahahahahahahahaha! You’re so weak! I’m hardly even trying here. I don’t even need to use your weakness. I could crush you like a bug just like this.”, he thinks he said, but he couldn’t tell who was talking anymore.

It was his voice but it wasn’t. Close but not quiet. This made that panic on the edge of his consciousness worse. He couldn’t…it was hard to distinguish which thoughts were his.

“N-No…I-I need to warn them…of the kishin hiding within this boy.”, Take-Minakata murmured as he continued to struggle.

He just applied more strength and he was denied the ability to even writhe. That distorted laughter echoed through his throat.

“Hear my name and fear me all that are divine. I am the devourer of kin, Kronos. The primordial time that devours mortals and even the divine. Hahaha! No one can escape time! I am inevitable!”, a grandiose declaration came out of his mouth.

It wasn’t his voice at all. This wasn’t his body. It was his. It was Kronos’. It was all his. His body, his mind, his soul…

Somehow he felt like something patted his head as if saying good job for figuring that out. He could feel that Kronos owned him. That he only had control over his body when he allowed it.

This subconscious realization got completely overshadowed by most of his consciousness which was enraptured by Kronos. He made it feel so good it made his mind numb. Takumi was filled with a power and confidence that he normally didn’t possess. Those overwhelmed everything else leaving him reeling. It left him acting as Kronos.

“Tell them in the Underworld to not target humanity or else…I’ll eat…I-I’ll eat…EAT YOU!”, Takumi replied, hysterically.

From Takumi’s perspective he saw Take-Minakata savory and smoky bacon. Not unlike before, Takumi's perception was altered. Maybe he should put it in the air fryer a bit more. It’s looking too light. Fire slipped from his mouth with the intent to cook.

This was met with blood curdling screams.

“My air fryer is seriously on death’s door with that racket. I need to replace it.”, Takumi thought, trapped thoroughly in the delusion.

He cooked him until medium point which is what he liked the most. He thinks most people like it that way. Not too raw, not too burnt. Just perfect.

His fangs sank into him. The divine flesh might as well have offered no resistance. Whatever taste he originally had was changed to perfectly cooked bacon. Takumi had a bloody grin as ate him piece by piece. Perfectly marinated in fear just as Kronos liked. That gave it something extra he could vaguely remember tasting but he couldn’t put his finger on where. All he knew was that this bacon tasted extra good.

CRUNCH!

CRUNCH!

In between the few crunches there was blood curdling screaming. He ate him in a few bites like he was the small piece of bacon he had been made to see him as. After swallowing there was a flash of fire and he returned back to normal. Takumi was left looking out of it and drooling before being granted full control back. With it his eyes returned to normal. Kronos seemed satisfied…for now.

This time when he returned to his senses his mind wasn’t submerged again, but he couldn’t remember the fear he felt. He seemed to control his memories too…

“Youch. That was a pretty tough fight.”, Takumi winced as he felt the effects of the shocks more strongly in his base.

It made his limbs twitch awkwardly. He seemed completely unaware of the one-sidedness of the encounter. His hands had bacon grease…Right, it was bacon grease. Normally he would be embarrassed but there was no one here. Not even the man on the tv was still broadcasting. It seemed that the screen got destroyed in the battle. This left Takumi licking his hands of blood which he saw and tasted as bacon grease.

“Yummy…”, Takumi said, in an oblivious and cheerful tone.

“Where did I get the bacon from again? Right, their fridge. Isn’t that stealing though? I might have committed a crime…I mean they are dead so—No, I’m pretty sure that makes it worse. I’m not stealing more food no matter how hungry I am…I am kinda hungry though. Maybe I could get a plate of bacon as a reward. Geez, why am I thinking of food after doing all of that…? I should ask for something more important like talking to my parents. It’s probably because I’m hungry.”, Takumi thought.

To be continued…

Chapter Text

Takumi exited the building. He looks out seeing people talking, shopping, playing, and just living normal lives overall. This leaves him standing there in the shadow of the alley. There was the normal life he wanted to live so badly. It was right in front of him, but out of reach. This made his heart ache.

“…”

His hand unconsciously reaches out. If only that could be him right now. To live without such responsibilities or worries. Just living in peace…

His hand hesitated, recoiling back from the world outside. This was the first time he’s been outside of the hospital while there were people around. Upon seeing it he’s overcome by a grief he’d been trying to restrain.

“It’s time for you to return, Sumino. You shouldn’t be seen in public.”, Sirei said over the comms.

For him this was heard directly in his mind.

“Can I see my parents?”, Takumi asked, quietly.

“You know we can’t do that. It’s far too risky. Besides, if demons knew of your association that could put them in danger.”, Sirei replied.

Takumi bit his lip deeply, clearly unsatisfied.

“You said you would reward me for doing good. I just want to be able to call them at least.”, Takumi argued.

“We’ll discuss this when you get back.”, Sirei replied.

“…”

Was it strange that he envied them?

When he saw families being together and being happy…people hanging out with friends…a deep feeling of envy churned in his chest. That and a deep longing.

So, he returned as he was told. He’s well aware of his situation. That he can be turned off whenever and be completely helpless. This left him with nearly all of the power in the world yet somehow still helpless. It was not too dissimilar from being in that coffin…

“I see that you’re a bit upset.”, Sirei said to him once he returned to the room.

“I miss my parents…I’ve been doing everything you say without much questions. I just want one thing. At least a call.”, Takumi replied.

“I understand but it’s…”, Sirei replied.

“What’s wrong?”, Takumi questioned, anxiously.

“Well…they haven’t been interested in communication. They’re happy that you’re here. That’s putting it in a more mild way.”, Sirei explained.

“No…that’s not true! Y-You’re…”, Takumi denied.

“I’d advise you against hearing the recordings we have. It would make it difficult for you to keep control of yourself. Wait for a moment…”, Sirei said.

He quickly gets a piece of paper. This paper is handed to Takumi to read. It looked like some sort of financial thing. It was signed by his parents. His pupils started shaking like crazy. Honestly, it was pretty difficult for him to understand initially until information flooded his brain. His internal computer isolated and translated the important details into something easier to understand. Translating legalese into normal sensible language.

The crux of it was not only did they concede all custody of him to Future Foundation, but also demanded payment for this. The payment promised by the consent form he signed. They wanted a higher payment…to help fund another kid…to replace him. Their signatures were on the paper.

His mother did say she always wanted a girl.

Takumi clenched the paper tightly. He gritted his teeth and tears started welling up. This wasn’t a Future Foundation form either he was reading. It was from an outside company contracted to broker this deal. They sought out Future Foundation and wanted this.

“If you need some time I can leave.”, Sirei said, in a solemn tone.

Takumi scrunched up the paper and shredded it in a moment of anger. Fire slipped from his mouth which appeared briefly demonic on the inside as he set the pieces on fire. Sirei took that for his cue to leave as Takumi started to lose it.

“So, they don’t love me? That’s the truth…Maybe dad did know what the form was. That they’d get a big payment in exchange for me!”, Takumi thought, extremely emotional.

His emotions spilled out violently like an eruption with his face quickly becoming soaked in tears. He got betrayed again…Again by those who were supposed to be his family. It hurt too much. His hand drifted over his chest. Where that scar that Ouranos inflicted would have been. His mind was overwhelmed by Kronos’ memories of betrayal and how he’d felt. All of that pain. It made his doubts grow…It made it all feel more believable to him. Those memories asserted that the betrayal was true and that family ties meant nothing.

“No one wants me…”, he thought.

They weren’t trying to get him back or talk to him. All they wanted was a reimbursement. Was that why he never heard about them trying to get in?

He found all of his darkest thoughts supported and just broke down.

“Is it because I was no good? I was never good enough…always too stupid and incompetent…I-I…if I become more useful. Surely if I save everyone they’ll…”, Takumi thought with the tone of a kicked puppy.

“…”

Takumi sobbed and curled up into a ball in his bed.

“M-Mom…”

Earlier in the day…

She found herself hiding with the brush after the world had gone mad. It was only a month ago that she had been living a normal life with her family. Her son and husband were alive and everything was simple.

Now her son had been turned into some sort of corpse demon and killed her husband.

It didn’t seem like he was in there at all.

Where had she gone wrong?

She remembers that night her son called her telling her that he was going to walk his friend home. It was something he had done 100 times before.

Why would this be any different?

Even still she had this awful feeling she bit down. It got worse as she got news about her son being attacked and them not being allowed to see him. That was beyond suspicious. She and her husband desperately tried to track down the hospital that he was said to be at.

It didn’t even exist.

So, then they tried Kamakura General Hospital only to get guns pointed in their faces. And with that a threat. Then came gaslighting.

“You’re son isn’t here. He’s at Himo General Hospital.”

“He’s in a very precarious condition right now. You can’t see him.”

The government was just covering up, basically kidnapping their son. It was unbelievable. She didn’t want to imagine what was being done to him for this kind of response. Perhaps harvesting his organs.

No, instead he was turned into some mindless demon. Considering that and them were being targeted didn’t seem like a coincidence to her. It was just cruel. They had their own son sent after them to kill them.

She hid whenever she heard or caught sight of him last night. Those who didn’t meet unsavory fates. The sounds that had came from his mouth didn’t resemble a human. Neither did walking on all fours and a foam filled mouth. Though he had the helmet on now she knew it was him.

Her little Takky…

She closed her eyes just hoping and praying.

The woman hadn’t been particularly religious but she was willing to try anything in her desperation. If there was any deity out there that cared she hoped her prayers would reach them. Man failed to put down the monster. It…he was still out there. It seemed that they lost control of their weapon. All that was left was the divine to go to.

“Please…Please…Takumi…”

A single tear fell down her cheek.

With Takumi…

Takumi started to drift off. Between the fighting and crying he was sleepy. He didn’t want to think about all of the horrible things going on in his life anymore. Instead he just wanted to forget about it by sleeping. A little sanctuary to escape reality. To escape all of the judgment and expectations.

He felt himself slipping into a dream where he was in a dark and warm place…

Despite what happened in the future or what led him there, that place still felt comforting. Things were simple. His life was simple. He had no need to sustain himself and simply lived a simple life in the womb of Gaia. The young titan explored around when he felt adventurous and played in lava.

For most such a thing was scarring and possibly deadly.

For him it was a light source and a fun bath.

“Splish! Splash!”, he thought.

He got extremely bored easily. That left him finding things to entertain him.

Kronos heard a strange sound that he wasn’t familiar with. This didn’t incite fear in him. It just made him curious. He turned to the source of the noise.

“Kronos, dear…”, a loving feminine voice said.

This made him pause. That was the voice of his mother who he had only heard the echo of before. But, here she was right in front of him. He thought she looked strange, but he had no reference for what was a normal appearance. Kronos’ was instantly paying attention.

“Is that you, mother…?”, Kronos questioned, unsure.

It was his first time seeing someone else. He continued to sit within the magma.

“That’s right, my son.”, she replied.

“You have a form?”, Kronos questioned as he slowly came closer to her.

His eyes were wide with an innocence that has been long lost. She nods in response.

“I thought it necessary. We’re going to see your siblings. It pains me to see you on your lonesome.”, Gaia explained.

Kronos looked instantly interested and she smiled. He was definitely excited. How could he not be? He could finally meet other beings besides his parents. She held out a hand for him.

It seemed so nice…

Right, Gaia seemed nice but she was cruel in a very different way from Ouranos.

She brought him to his siblings. Getting him to know and even fight. Kronos didn’t think about it too deeply at the time. It was all just exciting to him and he was practically an infant mentally.

When she noticed…When she confirmed her theory that he was stronger than his siblings she got closer to him. He accepted the attention eagerly after being spurned by his father. Over time he’d get passing comments and slight nudges.

“Isn’t it so sad that you must all stay here?”

“That deity Ouranos is so cruel for doing this to you all.”

“It hurts so much being so filled up with children…”

“You hate Ouranos don’t you? For consigning you and your siblings to this.”

It all led to…

“Would you like to kill Ouranos?”

That question made his core skip a beat. He was definitely stronger now, but that didn’t change that he feared his father. Unlike mortals his memory didn’t fade. He could remember being struck down in perfect clarity.

“I…I don’t know. He’s really scary. I just would like…I just want for my brothers and sisters to be happy.”, he replied, stumbling over his words in a way a youth would.

Gaia gave him that smile.

A smile that gave him hope…One that condemned him to a life of despair. She filled his young mind with hopes and dreams. Training him and stoking his hatred for his father urging him to act on it.

“You’re special, Kronos. You are the strongest and greatest of my children. The power you were blessed with can save all of them.”

Her sweet words made him feel good. They certainly inflated his ego and aspirations.

“You could even replace him as the Lord of All.”

As she opened her mouth to explain the words didn’t come. Not from his actual past, but the version played back to him by this mind. When he tries to think of a certain time he remembers walking up to a throne while drenched in blood and guts. One that radiated indescribable power.

It is rightfully his.

That was the belief that the titan held in his heart.

If Kronos had to describe his father he would say he’s like a lion. Proud, prone to rejecting cubs, aggressive, authoritative, but incredibly straight forward. He had no subtly. If he was planning something he was open with it and acted impulsively in a violent manner. His mother was a snake. A conniving, slithery, cold-blooded, hypnotic, can devour anyone, and is treacherous. She wasn’t the type to get her own hands dirty. Instead she got others to do it.

And he was one of them…

How many more were there?

Were there sons before him who got sent to their deaths that faded to history?

If Ouranos was her child as well had he overthrown someone himself?

One who was never recorded?

How long has this been happening?

Just how many men has Gaia manipulated?

No, not men, but children. Her children. That’s something he’s always wondered. It wouldn’t surprise him if this was some endless carousel of switching rulers.

He wasn’t the first and he certainly wouldn’t be the last. Next, it was Zeus. And judging by his conduct…one day Zeus would be next. There was no question of if. It was an inevitability. Maybe it did happen already and he just couldn’t remember right now. He was sure that Zeus wasn’t the King of Heaven right now.

Was it bzzt?

Because like the snake she was Gaia always found another hapless rat to prey on.

Everything went back to her and her schemes.

It must be fate then that in this new life…he is set to strike at Gaia.

Takumi drifted awake. Drool soaked his pillow. He hadn’t realized it but he had entered a very deep sleep. It was only upon waking that he realized how deep it was. He felt really refreshed after waking up. That was a really good sleep. The dream he experienced felt foggy on the exact details.

He remembered the basic gist of it though.

His mother Gaia was a snake who was not to be trusted.

As his mind booted up his vision cleared up as well. He saw someone sitting by his bed. They seemed tall so it definitely wasn’t Sirei.

“Nozomi…?”, Takumi questioned, half asleep.

“Guess again.”, a familiar female voice replied.

His eyes widened. He could clearly see her now. She sat there impassively. Her superficial wounds had been repaired.

“Hiruko?!”, Takumi questioned.

“Did you really think something like that would kill me? I’m stronger than you think.”, Hiruko questioned.

“Well…no. It seemed like not enough. I’m just surprised to see that you’re better already. So…you know what happened?”, Takumi answered.

She nods.

“I was caught up on the details. I’m already thinking of what I’ll do to Eito for that. Not to mention what he did to one of our soldiers.”, Hiruko explained.

“Why did he go that far?”, Takumi questioned.

“From what we could recover from his memory Eito Aotsuki genuinely was a member of the Anti-Preservation faction before becoming a Proto-Fiend.”, Hiruko answered.

“Why…? I can’t understand why anyone would do that.”, Takumi replied.

It just didn’t make sense to him. Such a self destructive idea couldn’t be held by someone rational. Someone who cared…

When Takumi thinks back to killing them, is that why is came so easily?

He remembers trying to convince himself to do it. If what Sirei said was true then they were a threat to everyone. Something he remembered pretty clearly was just looking…He needed to confirm their evil for himself.

That’s why he went shifting through behind that counter.

Takumi found something resembling the gauntlets used by soldiers to summon demons. It looked less high tech though. He found guns and bombs. Not like grenades but something he that had the potential to take down a big building. He looked through the messages on the retro gauntlet. It spoke of their new recruit’s initiation.

It asked if she killed her son yet.

That made the last semblance of Takumi’s control over himself slip. Then, the other took the wheel and killed them all. But, Takumi simply remembers killing them himself.

That and the distorted desire that filled him…

“To put it simply he was an insane boy with delusions of grandeur. He had a cognitive disorder that made him see people as monsters. In his cope to believe that he wasn’t crazy he convinced himself that humanity was wrong. That they were the crazy ones. All of the normal people.”, Hiruko explained.

“That sounds miserable. He must have been suffering a lot.”, Takumi replied.

Hiruko stared at him for a moment.

“That’s what you focus on?”, she questioned and sighed.

It almost seemed dismissive but he felt like it wasn’t. He wasn’t sure why.

“It was enough to convince him to kill everyone so it must have been miserable.”, he explained.

“It was a little more than that. It made him more inclined to believe certain narratives. Like the idea that humans are sinful and deserve extinction. That’s an idea that gets passed around outside a lot by absolute brainlets.”, Hiruko elaborated.

“Outside…? One of those men mentioned the outside world.”, Takumi questioned.

“That’s right. That is where they came from. I’ve fought them before there.”, Hiruko replied.

“What's it like? The outside world.”, Takumi asked with curiosity.

“It’s a very cruel and dangerous place. One where it’s eat or be eaten.”, Hiruko answered.

“Is that why they’re like that?”, Takumi questioned.

“Does it matter?”, Hiruko questioned.

“What do you mean?”, Takumi asked.

“They’re trying to kill their entire species. The motive is irrelevant. What good would come from trying to understand them? Did you try to understand them as you cut them down?”, Hiruko answered.

“I-I…”

Takumi looks down.

“Before I did it I tried to see if they’re really bad. I found a message about an initiation where a new member is being expected to kill their child…That allowed me to fight them and…I channeled Kronos I think. Sirei told me to.”, Takumi explained.

“So, did you kill them because someone told you to?”, Hiruko questioned.

“T-That’s not it…They hurt everyone and Sirei explained how dangerous they were. That more people could get hurt.”, Takumi replied, hastily.

“So, why are you bothering to try to understand them? That won’t help you at all. Knowing your type it would probably make you pity the genocidal maniacs.”, Hiruko explained.

She gave him a serious look that made him sweat.

“There’s no room for pity. Nor is there for hope or despair. You must simply do as you must to protect what’s important.”, Hiruko continued.

“…”

“Think about how many people you must have saved by getting rid of the threat. They were festering, hidden in plain sight until we got their location from their spies. What do you think they would have done?”, Hiruko said.

“I-I…I guess they would have attacked again.”, Takumi replied.

“I was shut off and your memory was sabotaged. It could have been far worse. That was simply a trial run.”, Hiruko explained.

The thought of it made Takumi shiver.

“This is why you must be ruthless towards your enemies. They’ll treat you with the same ruthlessness. It seems that you were able to do that much. I won’t deny that it was surprising.”, Hiruko insisted.

“I was thinking that I was disgusting for it. When Sirei explained what they’d do I tried my best to justify it to myself…Even after stating that human life is precious…”, Takumi replied.

He frowned. His ideals folded under no pressure. Did he have ideals at all?

“It’s what’s necessary. Our enemies don’t hold such values. You can’t treat them as if they’re a viable person to stand trial. They don’t believe in order or society. They are the kind who will use your beliefs and sympathy against you.”, Hiruko assured.

“What’s necessary…”

“You’re so soft that you may have to lean on Kronos’ wickedness. But, it’s not something you should rely on. Doing that is dangerous. You may find yourself devoured by him. That’s why you must resolve yourself to do what’s necessary.”, Hiruko warned.

“How do I do that?”, Takumi questioned.

“That’s up to you.”, she replied.

This made him shift uncomfortably.

Up to him?

Who was he to decide?

What gave him the right?

“What’s more if you are to ever step foot outside here. Truly stepping out into the real world you will need to resolve yourself. Just following what you’re told won’t cut it. You’ll need true conviction.”, Hiruko said.

“I have a resolve…I want to protect everyone.”, Takumi asserted.

“And how will you do that?”, Hiruko questioned.

Takumi looked confused.

“What do you mean? I’ll…I’ll defeat anyone who tries to attack.”, Takumi questioned.

“You are dreadfully simpleminded. Simply defeating everyone that comes. Are you an idiot? You’re a deity, Takumi.”, Hiruko replied, with a huff.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”, Takumi questioned, cluelessly.

“You are capable of so much more than something so idiotic. Gods dictate reality itself. Their will and their ambition determines it.”, Hiruko explained.

“I have no idea how to…”, Takumi was saying.

Takumi paused as a memory popped into his head. He remembered that throne. The one that lied in heaven. Which had sat empty after he got rid of Ouranos’ avatar.

“The throne…”, he murmured.

“The strongest god of the generation claims the right to shape reality as they see fit. Well, that’s how it’s normally supposed to work. But, no one has been able to unseat the Hebrew God since he sat on it.”, Hiruko explained.

“So Zeus isn’t on the throne anymore…That’s what I thought. He was unseated by this Hebrew God.”, he thought.

“Why are you telling me this?”, Takumi questioned.

He didn’t think he distrusted Hiruko, but it seemed like an odd time to bring this up.

“…It’s something you’re bound to remember. After all, Kronos has sat on the throne.”, Hiruko replied.

She wasn’t looking him in the eyes.

“I believe it’s best to prepare for any possibility. One of us may end up taking it if the situation calls for it. If it does you’ll need a clear vision of what you want to make the world. A halfhearted desire won’t suffice. If your desire is to protect everyone and to save them you’ll have to determine what that means for you.”, Hiruko elaborated.

Takumi wasn’t even sure what could work. The poor boy had a difficult time even imagining a method. Hiruko sighed realizing how uncreative he is.

“Would you make everyone your pets?”, Hiruko questioned.

“What?!”, Takumi gasped.

“It’s not too dissimilar to how people live in the Residential District. They’re kept safe inside of their little enclosure from the harsh outside world. Cared for, given everything they need, and kept ignorant from the cruelty of the world. But, in exchange they are expected to obey their owners because they subsidize their life. That’s no different than a pet, no?”, Hiruko explained.

“T-That’s—I’ve never thought of it like that…”, Takumi said, stunned.

“Is it really like that? I mean…it doesn’t seem bad. Everyone is happy here…”, Takumi thought.

“Or would you let them be free?”, Hiruko questioned.

She had her hand out as she made gestures.

“Freedom would invite chaos and disorder. But, it would also allow people to choose. To become strong enough to protect themselves. They would see the true cruelty of the world and have to face it. They might even die. But, it would be the result of their decisions. Their own will would decide their future.”, Hiruko explained.

“That just sounds dangerous…but I don’t want to just control people.”, Takumi thought.

“Or would you try the treacherous balancing act of trying to uphold both?”, Hiruko questioned.

“That sounds hard…”, Takumi commented.

She nods.

“You’ll need to reach an answer. One that is your own and not simply what you’ve been told to do.”, Hiruko said as she started to get up.

“Where are you going?”, Takumi questioned.

“To the outside world.”, she answered.

“You’re not going to be fighting with us?”, Takumi questioned.

“That would give away that I’m alive. I will simply take advantage of our enemies having their pants down.”, Hiruko replied.

“Don’t you…”

“You want to help me? That would require stepping out of your enclosure into the real world. If you were to do that you could never go back to your old life. You would be changed.”, Hiruko replied.

Takumi was taken aback. The threat of losing normalcy forever was daunting. And the thought of what horrors lay outside of the Residential District. It was horrible enough for people to choose extinction.

She put her hand on the door.

“You’re not ready for that. For a mewling puppy who has scarcely gone outside his owner’s home the outside world would be too much. It would be suicide. Only one with true will and resolve should go out there. It’s not as if it’s the first time I’ve been out there. I was a devil summoner after all.”, she left him with that.

Takumi stumbled forth. Truly clumsy like a puppy before he righted himself. He looked out the door to see that Hiruko was gone. This left him looking around.

“She’s right about me…I’m…I’m a pet. I don’t think I could handle the real world. Not right now anyway. Maybe in the future…”, Takumi thought.

This left Takumi contemplative about what Hiruko said. She told him to decide what kind of world he wanted to create. To turn that into conviction that would help him fight.

“What kind of world do I want to create for my loved ones…For Nozomi? I want her to be safe. I don’t want her to ever be in danger. But, would that be right? She wouldn’t be free. I-I couldn’t do that to her. She’s strong and kind. I can’t…I-I want…”, Takumi thought.

He found himself walking to her room as his mind stewed over this mental conflict. Takumi looked at her door. She was out doing physical therapy right now. That’s good. She was getting better.

“Would she be safer if she could protect herself? But, I promised I would…”, he thought.

This left Takumi wandering the halls again. The weight of a decision felt far too daunting. He didn’t think he was ready for that kind of thing. Especially in his current mental state. He just found out that his parents practically sold him. That he truly was the property of Future Foundation.

“I need something to clear my head.”, Takumi thought.

This led to him seeking out Sirei.

“On second thought I want a bunch of bacon. I’m hungry.”, Takumi said.

…

“What?”, Sirei questioned.

To be continued…

I hope Takumi doesn’t come off as too gullible here. The influence of Kronos is meant to make him feel more biased towards believing it because of Kronos’ severe mommy and daddy issues.