Chapter 8 - Chapter 8: Beauty

Ngh! What was that dream.. So strange..

I went to the bus with Ichiro to Kurosaki. We hadn't heard a word from Negiro.. What could've happened to him..

"Hey. Do you know the whereabouts of Negiro" Ichiro asked me. "No, I don't."

He usually texts us in the morning. I decided to investigate at Kurosaki. I found him on the way to Mr. Silvas' room. "Dude, where were you?!" Me and ichiro yelled at him.

Negiro: A date.

"What?? With who?" I asked. He responded with "Don't worry about it." With a fresh smile. Whatever...

The bell rang, and class started.

"Wait.. Is Negiro sitting next to Keila? Isn't she a Popstar?" "Yeah."

Mr. Silvas: Ok class settle down, today we're gonna try evolving your powers.

Wow.. I wonder what my second form would look like.. Mr. Silvas asked us to try something new that we've never done before with our abilities.

~inside the black room~

-Unknown Voice-: Mazoku!

"Arrgh!" It scared me..

~Back into the real word~

I gasped. I have a dark, shadow pistol in my hand now..

I shot it, only for it to completely penetrate through the walls. The pistol disappeared from my hands. The class clapped. Negiro covered his kunai in small lightning bolts. Ichiro made his scythe a staff. "Woah.. looks like everyone awakened a new part of their powers?" Kaito said. Kaito couldn't evolve his power any further at this point..

-Lunch time-

"So, what are you guys getting for lunch to-" I cut myself off. "Woah.. that girl is totally perfect!!" I thought. I spaced out for about 2 minutes until I heard Kaito say "Hey, wake up!"

"Is she your crush??" Ichiro asked with a smirk on his face. I started to blush a little.. I kept quiet and didn't give a response. Until..

"Ichiro! Wake up!!" I heard Kaito yell. Him too? He was spaced out, looking at a girl with long, green hair and pure eyes... "Hey, Kaito, how come you haven't been staring at a girl lately?" I was curious. "I personally don't see the purpose in having a girlfriend.." He responded. Okayy then..

We got to the lunch table. "Hey, where's Negiro?" Ichiro asked. "I spotted him!!" I told the boys. That jerk! He's spending his entire lunch with Keila?! The girl I was staring at approached me.. "Hey! Aren't you Mazoku Akuma from Middle School?" She asked. "Uhh! who are you??" I said while subtly blushing. "I'm Yuna, from our middle school, Kyoto!" I started blushing to the max!! This girl.. She was my best friend in that school.. So many memories, I nearly shed a tear.. "Yuna.. You remember me..?" I asked when a tear fell on the ground. "Of course I do.. You.. Are.. My crush after all..."

Ngh! I really didn't expect to hear this!!!

~Into Mazoku's Past, 4 years prior to Kurosaki Academy~

That's right. I was 12 years old when I first met her. She was such an amazing friend.

"Hey! I'm Yuna! Nice to meet you!" I'm new here, so it's nice to have a new friend. "Kyoto really sucks, huh?" Yuna had told me. "Yeah." I responded. She said this because the teachers were such jerks. They were always mean, and didn't care for the students' feelings. "Wanna go to the playground with me later today? It's near Kyoto." She asked me. "Yeah! Sure!" I responded happily. School ended, and I went to the playground.

Huh? A text from my phone? I wonder who it could be.

Ichiro: Hey dude! Where are you! I didn't see you on the bus today!

Ichiro: Don't tell me those Forsaken Guards "The Manipulators" kidnapped you! Those guys are known for kidnapping people without detection..

I responded with "Yeah man, i'm fine."

Ichiro: Oh, thank god!

I powered my phone off and saw Yuna by the slide. "Hey, come here!" She said.

I went to the slide with her. "What's your name?" She asked me. "I'm Mazoku Akuma." I responded smiling. "You remember my name, right?" She asked. "Yeah, isn't it Yuna?"

"I'm glad you remembered! Truth is.. I barely have any friends.. My lack of powers doesn't help me either." She explained to me. I got sad, given that at the time I never knew I had powers. "I'm sure I have one. I have to, my family had always had abilities.." She told me. "Will you help me find my powers?" She asked me. "Of course I will." "You are my friend, after all." I responded.

She smiled brightly; with watery eyes.

This was the start of an amazing friendship.

~Back, into Kurosaki~

"So are you, Yuna." "I love you." I responded. I hugged her and said "I won't let go of our promise." She started blushing and tearing up a bit, with Negiro nowhere in sight. Kaito and Ichiro smiled, happy for me. "Don't worry guys, I won't be like Negiro and ditch you guys." I said with a shining smile and thumbs up.

Lunch had ended. Classes started again. I didn't know anything about what happened in the last class, since I fell asleep on the desk. People starting noticing me and Yuna having a thing.

~End of the Day, 11/23~

I got home, and saw my mom. I was happier than usual, so Ayaka also noticed. "Hey Mazoku, why are you happy?" She surprised. "It's nothing, mom." I replied.

I looked outside the window. I saw a giant "M" in the sky. I started getting paranoid.

~4 Years Ago, Kyoto Middle~

Yeah.. I'm starting to remember now.. I've seen this M before in the sky. This is the calling card of the Manipulators.. It appears 1 day before a person gets kidnapped, and dies.

~In reality~

No. It can't be.. These guys disappeared a long time ago. I went to sleep.

11/24

I walked to school knowing these guys may or may not be back. Knowing they usually target middle and high schoolers I couldn't help but wonder what was to await me..

~Inside of the Black Room~

Unknown Voice: "Demise. It's bound to come in the next few days..." The voice chuckled.

~Real World~

"Not again..!" I yelled a little louder than I should have. Luckily, I was in the hallways, and the halls are loud so no one really heard me.

"Class 1-C"

I entered my homeroom. Huh? Wait.. No..

Where's Yuna?!?!

~The Blackroom~

"This is the beginning of the end." The unknown voice had told me.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" I yelled in fear.

"My name is Maragi, and I am your demon who dwells within your consciousness.." He introduced himself.

"Oh? So do you know what happened to Yuna then..?" I asked, not expecting a true answer.

"She's in the possession of The Manipulators"

"What.. no!! Why.." I had thought..

"Hey Maragi, what are these guys' powers exactly?" I had asked the entity.

"These Forsaken Guards can manipulate their victims into doing anything they desire with ease.. I can also speculate they can mirror people and abilities." He explained to me.

"But, if you interfere with her kidnapping, there is a very high chance you will be put into custody by the Tamoshiri Police, you can most likely redeem yourself by proving you can defend yourself as a first year highschool student." He added.

Memories of me and Yuna were all over my mind. As if they were a VHS tape fast fowarding..

"I have to. I have to save Yuna. No matter the cost. She's my girlfriend and my true love." I vowed.

"Very well then, haha. I look foward to seeing what your capable of." Maragi responded.