Chereads / Love Like Hell / Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: First Steps Down A Deadly Road

Chapter 11 - Chapter 11: First Steps Down A Deadly Road

A demon had found itself on the ground, a spiritual sword being held at it's throat. It was a level B demon, something a little more human looking. It looked at its hunter: Kagori. The demon sat there, sweat going down it's face, but it held its ground. Kagori showed no emotion towards the demon, just like the demon heard about him attacking anything. But something surprising happened. Instead of a sudden strike of death, Kagori asked the demon a question.

"Do you know who Hiromushu Daisuke is?"

"Daisuke? The son of the great Demon Hunter Taki."

"The only one there is." Kagori said, holding the blade towards the throat a little more.

"Of course, who doesn't."

"Do you know his location?"

"Like before, who doesn't? But demons usually avoid that place. Even I don't want to be caught anywhere near there."

"Do you fools fear him that much?"

"Don't you?"

"Of course not. That wimp is nothing compared to my power, and never say my name with that buffoon's name again."

"Is that all you want?" the demon asked, pretty much begging for his death with the attitude involved in the way he said it. At least he wouldn't have to be standing in one of the strongest demon hunters in the world threatening him.

"No." Kagori said, putting his sword away. This was something the demon had never seen before. "I need a favor from you, demon."

"I have a name. It's Iro."

"Are you listening or not?"

"Fine, what do you need."

"I need you to destroy Daisuke."

"Are you insane?"

"No, I think you're the perfect demon for the job. You had given me a hard time with our battle."

"Me? Are you sure you're talking to the right person."

"You certainly are humble." Kagori said with a slight smile. "So, do we have a deal or not?"

Iro stood there and thought about it. If he had said no, his life would end like a coward, but if he said yes, he would be able to live another day. It seemed like he didn't have any other choice. Even though he was taught that human's couldn't be trusted, he had shook Kagori's hand.

"You got yourself a deal."

"I really don't like that bitch." Raine said as she looked at Yuki across the room. "She's cocking major attitude."

"Oh, c'mon Raine. We haven't given her a chance." Deíji said.

"Yeah." Kori agreed. "You're starting to sound like Yuri did back with Daisuke."

"I know, there's just some weird feeling about her. I don't know what it is, but there's something wrong about her."

"What do you mean." Momo asked.

"She's been giving us the eyes since she got here, and it only got worse after she talked with Daisuke."

"Speaking of Daisuke, he seemed to be even more moody than before after talking to that Yuki chick." Kori added.

"Now, don't you guys think that you're being a little unfair?" Deíji asked.

"Unfair? We have facts in front of you, and you ignore them just like that? C'mon Deíji, you can't that the two haven't been weird."

"Weirder than when he had with Yuri." Raine threw in.

"Has anybody seen Yuri?" Momo asked.

"No, actually." Kori said thinking about the last time she saw her. "I haven't seen her since she talked to Daisuke."

"How long ago was that, three days?"

"Yeah. And the weekend is coming up. We were suppose to all hang out again, but since the arrival of Yuki, things have been a little weird."

"You mean more weird than usual?" Momo teased.

"Pretty much." Kori said with a slight, but serious nod.

"Well, I've got class with all three of them. If you want me to, I can talk to them, see what's going on." Deíji said.

"That would be great." Kori said with a sigh of relief.

Truth was, Deíji was wondering what had been getting Daisuke down as well. She knew that he wasn't acting the same for a couple of days, and she wanted to know why. And Yuri was her friend too, and she also wanted o know who this Yuki girl really was."

All three of them felt it. A small wave, but big enough for even Yuri to catch it: a demonic wave. When they had felt it, they all acted on instinct, and raised their hand, not caring what the teacher had to say. In unison, they shouted, "I have to go to the bathroom!" and took off without notice.

As they charged down the hall, Yuri and Yuki had given a strange glare at one another.

"I wasn't aware you could pick up demonic aura."

"Anything you can do, I can do better." Yuri said in a sing-song voice.

"I can do anything better than you." Yuki said, finishing off the song.

The three took off into the forest that had been by the cafeteria. When they had gotten to where the aura should have been, they had seen a small imp. It actually looked human, like a nine year old kid. But something, they didn't know what, had given away the fact that the thing they saw was demonic.

"Well, if it isn't Iro." Gi said, popping out of the trees and landing on Daisuke's arm.

"Where'd you come from?"

"Don't you know? I come in almost on instinct and perfect convenience."

"So, you know about this demon?" Yuri asked.

"Why is the ferret talking." Yuki asked.

"Well," Gi said, ignoring Yuki. "This demon has been roaming around wanted for a couple of decades now. He stole something precious to the DHA, but nobody outside the president and their congress knows exactly what it was. It happened about fifteen years ago."

"What level demon is he?"

"Level B."

"Really?" Daisuke asked as he stared at this little demon in amazement. He hadn't fought anything tougher than a D before, and now was his chance to rise up and do something big. But he would have to be careful on this fight, but he knew that he had a chance for some reason. "What are his attributes?"

"Strength: 2 Spirit: 5 Specialty: N/A"

"Are you kidding me?" Daisuke yelled. "A fetus is stronger than that! Are you sure that this isn't a typo?"

"It may seem like it, but that's the reading I'm getting."

"It's true." Iro said with a slight smile. "Those are my true attributes. I have no more to hide, no less."

"Than why are you a…?"

"That's something for me to know, and for you to find out. Now, if you don't mind…" Iro said, preparing himself for battle.

Daisuke grinned, and he took out his spiritual sword. He single handedly charged towards Iro and swung. But he had missed. He swung again, and the same thing happened. He swung his fastest and hardest, but only to miss every single one of them. Daisuke had tried grabbing the demon, but he literally slipped though Daisuke's fingers. It was as if he wasn't real… just like an illusion.

Daisuke backed up and looked at Iro.

"Where's your real body."

"This is my real body." Iro said.

"You're an illusion. Don't lie to me."

"Could an illusion do this?" Iro asked as he quickly jabbed Daisuke in the face. It was a baby's touch, nonetheless, but Daisuke had felt it. Daisuke had finally grabbed Iro by the arm and looked at him. Iro was right, he had been real. Then why couldn't Daisuke grab him before?

"Gotcha!" Daisuke said with pride. But as soon as he did, Iro disappeared into thin air. Daisuke looked around, not seeing the annoying pest anywhere. But then he had felt a soft hit in the back of the head. When Daisuke looked behind him, he hadn't seen anything or anybody. He couldn't even sense Iro. Another soft hit in the face, but Daisuke hadn't seen Iro.

"You should see the look on your face." Iro said, his body visible from nowhere. Daisuke looked around, still not seeing the little devil. "If you can't already tell, I'm invisible. You can search me all you want, but you'll never touch me the way I am."

"Maybe I can't…" Daisuke said with an immediate grin. Suddenly, the roots of every tree in the forest burst out of the ground, and went sailing in ever direction possible. It seemed to be like the Jetson's freeway, only with roots instead of hover vehicles. The roots only went half an inch around Daisuke, but out of the girl's way, not touching them at all. After a couple seconds, of what seemed like nothing could survive, Iro had reappeared on top of Yuri's head, sitting there.

"Hi, there!" he said.

"Get off of me!" Yuri shouted as she reached up to hurt him, but Iro disappeared again.

"C'mon! What are you afraid of!" Daisuke shouted. "C'mon out and fight!"

"In your dreams. Well, I'll be seeing you later."

"What do you mean?" Daisuke shouted looking around.

"Do you think I'm going to stay in this hellhole? Hee, hee. Get it? 'Hellhole'? Well, I'm leaving this walking disaster area. I'll see you guys later."

"Wait!" Daisuke shouted again, but Iro was gone. "Damn."

"Wow, no wonder why he escaped the DHA's clutches."

"Yuki, now's not he time." Yuri said, looking at the angered Daisuke.

"Don't tell me what to do."

"And why shouldn't I?" Yuri asked, taking her eyes off of Daisuke, and looking at Yuki in the eye.

"Girls, let's just go back to class while we can." Daisuke said, seeming fine now. "We don't want to keep the teacher waiting too long, do we?"

Without waiting for an answer from the two, he started taking off towards class. The girls saw him leave, and then took one last glare at each other, indicating that they would settle this later.

Once again, the library was quiet and empty. Deíji had loved the peace, and the musty smell of books had made the light room seem even better than she had originally thought was good. She loved the way she could simply come here to think without anybody to bother her. Nobody could interrupt what she had wanted to think about or write about in her journal.

She leaned against a bookcase, reading something she had just picked up, when she had heard footsteps coming towards her isle. She looked up, seeing Yuki walking towards her. This was perfect. She could prove everybody wrong that Yuki wasn't a jerk, just a new student in a new place.

"Hi." Deíji said. "I'm Deíji."

"Yuki." Yuki replied without looking at Deíji, just looking for a book. But her response was nice, not rude at all. She must have been in somewhat of a hurry, Deíji thought. Why else wouldn't she even look Deíji in the eye?

"So, I heard you come from Tokyo, just like Daisuke."

"Yep. Me and Daisuke have known each other since grade school." This was something Deíji didn't know about.

"He's a nice guy." Deíji said with a smile.

"So, you're after his heart too?"

"What?" Deíji asked. Where did that question come up?

"You also like Daisuke, don't you?" Yuki said with a grin, but still not even looking at Deíji.

"What makes you say that?" Deíji said in defense.

"Look how defensive you're getting. It's a simple question. Do you or do you not like Daisuke."

"No!" she lied.

"Really?"

"R-really."

"So, you wouldn't mind if I went out with him?"

"I'm not sure, but I think that him and Yuri are going out."

"Not with the way things are going." Yuki said hardly above a whisper, but Deíji heard it.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Why do you think that Daisuke and Yuri have been acting so weird lately."

"How would you know they've been acting weird lately? You're new here."

"What do you think me and Daisuke were talking about during the mile? He was saying that Yuri was going out of whack, and that he was ending it today."

"No! Daisuke would never do something so harsh."

"You're calling Daisuke harsh?" Yuki asked, finally looking at her with amusement in her eyes. "Aren't you the one who's harsh?"

"Why me?"

"You're happy that they're breaking up."

"No I'm–"

"Admit it. Hearing them split up is a joyous thing in your heart. Inside, you're preparing for the rebound."

"No I'm… I'm not…" Deíji said with far less confidence in her voice.

"Are you sure? Why don't you actually open up and be honest with yourself. While you're at it, why don't be honest to Daisuke, too? I mean you are the reason they're breaking…oops. I've said too much."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I should probably go before I spill something I shouldn't."

"No! You've already leaked something, I need to know what you mean."

"Why? You don't like Daisuke, so what difference would it make if I told you or not?"

"Well…" Deíji said with a hint of embarrassment. "I kinda… you know… like him a little."

"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear what you just said. Can you please speak up?"

"I like him, okay? Happy?" her voice was still quiet.

"Well, should I really tell you this?"

"Yes. Please, Yuki, I'm begging you."

"Well… alright." She said, pretending to give in. "Daisuke had said something about liking you too, especially since when you guys went to the town to hang out, or what I would like to call, 'your first date.'"

"He told you about that?"

"How else would I know about that?" she said with a devilish grin. "Oh, I think that you should kinda, you know, get better on your sleeping act. It didn't fool Daisuke at all."

Deíji knew what she meant. When Deíji had fallen asleep on Daisuke on the bus, well… she wasn't really asleep. She didn't know why she did that, but she went with what her instincts told her.

Without anything else to say, Yuki walked out of the library, feeling Deíji's eyes follow her all the way out. As soon as Yuki got outside, she chuckled to herself.

"And now, disaster strikes."

Seven A class demon corpses had been on the ground, bleeding from their wounds. Kagori had sat in the middle of the midnight moonlight the outskirts of Sakura's private girl school. He had sat there, meditating. Behind him, he heard slight foot steps.

Iro had come back to report the news of his failure, a sure death of him, but it didn't matter. It was going to happen sooner or later, and he would rather be killed by a strong demon hunter than by some half-assed kid. He was bleeding from the side, a deep injury made by Daisuke. The roots had cut him, even though he hadn't shown it back then. It was wise to escape when he had, Iro had realized.

"Did you destroy Daisuke?" Kagori asked. Iro didn't know that Kagori knew he was there.

"On the contrary. I have failed."

For a while Kagori hadn't said anything. Iro waited patiently, wondering how Kagori was going to kill him. But Kagori had sat up from sitting down. He looked at Iro and then passed by the stunned Iro.

"Did you learn anything?"

"He's an exceptional plant summoner."

"Really?" Kagori asked, seeming more surprised than Iro thought he would ever show in his life. "That's interesting."

Kagori had started to walk away a couple of steps, but then stopped and turned around, looking at Iro.

"Aren't you coming?"

"What do you mean? Aren't you going to kill me?"

"I would normally have, but…" Kagori's voice trailed for a couple of seconds. "What do you think of humans?" he asked randomly.

"Well, I think you're flee-bitten people who think too highly of themselves and should rot in hell more than we do."

"Do you think that way of me?"

"Of course." Iro said.

Kagori smiled a little. And turned.

"I suppose that's why I like you, Iro. I may not know you, you may not know me, I'm human, you're a demon, but despite our differences, I think we can become allies."

"What about the DHA? Won't they be upset that your joining a demon."

"Iro, the DHA is one of the reasons I need your help."

"So, you heard my reputation? Is that the only reason you need me?"

"No, that's not it at all. I need you more for Daisuke than anybody. Almost twice as much as the president of DHA."

"Why? I understand he holds some power, but he's not that great."

"Iro, no human or demon can understand something I have felt from this child. He's strong, and I need to take him out before he takes me out."

"I can't believe you would do something like this to me! After everything we done, you start this!" Yuri shouted at Daisuke. "You have the nerve!"

"Me? What about you? And that horrid rumor you started about me?"

"It was true, wasn't it? You had fun making out with Raine!"

"You didn't have to get her involved in this! Now she's mad because she thought I started it!"

"Perhaps you shouldn't have enjoyed it so much!"

"It was your plan!"

"Don't throw this back at me! You're the one who started!"

"I started it? Who started the rumor!"

A lot had happened in the last three days. Rumors were flying around the entire school about each other. Friendships were broken, and voices were raised in anger. The funny thing was, all the rumors said about people were true. Every last one. Not one of them had been a lie. Although, it had been a giant web of people who yelled, no one really knew who the source of the rumors were. The trail just kept going around in circles.

But it hadn't hit the group until lunch, where Yuri had came bashing through Daisuke's room, the way a police officer had when doing a drug bust. Unfortunately, Daisuke had been in only a towel as he was getting out of the shower, and even though it was Yuri's fault for walking in, Daisuke still was the one to get the beating. It wasn't until after Daisuke was dressed that the two had started their bickering.

"Besides," Daisuke started. "Who's the one who had been preparing skimpy skirts for guys at other schools?"

"Who told you that?"

"Doesn't matter! I want to know why you're yelling at me, when you're doing stuff that's just as bad as what I did."

"So, you admit it!"

"I'm not admitting anything!"

"It sure sounds a lot like something to admit to me!"

"You wouldn't know admitting if it came up and bit you in the face!"

"What did you say to me?"

"You know what?" Daisuke said, backing up, heading toward the door. "I don't even understand why I liked you!"

"Oh, yeah! Well, me neither! You're just gay, anyway!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not gay!"

"And why should I believe you?"

"Why am I wasting time with you?"

"Oh, sure, now the time I spend with you is now known as wasted? Who needs you!"

"Well, I surely don't need you!"

"Fine!"

"FINE!"

And with a slam of the door, Daisuke stormed down the hall. As Yuri panted in a heavy pace, she stared at the door. She seethed through her teeth, and glared with hatred. But her vision started to become blurry as her tears started rolling down her face, streaming from her eyes. Angry grunts turned into small sobs, and she let it all out as she fell on his bed and muffled her sounds with a pillow.

Little did she know, Daisuke was down the hall, leaning up against the wall, hands in his head, feeling the same she was, trying to hold back everything that had urged him to cry.

Sitting in a tree a couple of feet away from the window from where Daisuke was sitting under, Yuki sat on a branch full in stealth, holding a cell phone to her ear with a grin on her face.

Hello? The person on the phone picked up, the same voice a in the forest.

"Mission accomplished."

Excellent. Don't lose him. Be sure to keep Operation Genesis full afloat until I get there. We can't have any more failures.

"Yes, ma'am."

Oh, and one other thing.

"Yes?"

Keep that Yuri girl alive at all costs as well.

"Ma'am? I don' understand."

You will in all good time, my dear. Just do as you're told.

With a click, the phone conversation was over. Yuki slowly closed her phone and put it away, wondering what good that little prissy girl had special about her that the boss would want her alive.

"it's come to my attention that perhaps you have a secret that you've been keeping from us, Kagori. Is this true?" the president of DHA had asked.

Kagori's cold eyes had stared upon the people of the society of DHA. He didn't speak, but only stared, giving the impression that he wasn't going to speak to people he thought unworthy.

Kagori was in the DHA courtroom, knowing that the people of DHA had known about his alliance with a demon. It was obvious that this was the first step into the road of the wrong direction. But even though he hadn't said a word, and only gave a deathly glare, the members of DHA were gracious.

"Is it true or not?" the vice president asked in the president's place, losing his patience. Saliva had slipped out the bottom lip of the president.

"It's true." Kagori said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"You know the rules against an alliance with a demon, don't you?" a president of a branch from DHA said. "You might be asked to be on probation and house arrest under DHA laws."

Kagori, once again, said nothing, but rather stared at the line of men. All twelve, aging and balding. He still didn't want to speak to these weaklings. There hadn't been proof of their greatness for him to be speaking to any of them. They were simply people who had the money to build such a place such as this, and to keep the governments off their backs. They had no real strength, and he wasn't going to waste words with such feeble people.

"Kagori, I hear by sentence you to probation from using demonic powers until further notice."

"No." Kagori said, bluntly but straight forward. "One does not heed to the random barking of pathetic dogs."

"Are you resisting us?"

"Have you ever considered that demons may help us?" Kagori asked.

"Listen to him," another president of a different branch said. "He's already been brain-washed by those beasts."

"Perhaps if you listened to what a couple of them had to say, you could help the world. They're not al half bad."

"Blasphemy!" the vice president of DHA shouted. "Nothing but lies that have been programmed into that small brain of yours!"

"It was not I who is not the weak minded one. You can't even open up your eyes to help the world."

"Kagori," the president said. "I'm afraid we're going to need to keep you in this place until further notice on solitary confinement."

"You wish to stop me? Do you know how much influence I have over a majority of the Demon Hunters?"

"Kagori, you don't want to turn your back against us. It will be a failure attempt."

"Don't make me laugh. As we stand here today, a gathering in the demon world is being made to stop the fools of this earth." Kagori announced.

"The Demon World?" a president asked.

"You mean it exists?" another questioned.

"Don't listen to this rubbish. This young one is simply trying to scare us, men. GUARDS!" the Vice president had called.

Three men with machine guns had walked in, their weapons pointed at Kagori. Kagori had simply looked behind his shoulder, and then turned back to the men.

"I suggest you leave if you desire to live." Kagori said to the guards, but the guards had put their finger on the trigger instead.

A millisecond before the triggers were pulled, a wall of pure stone came from the ground, protecting Kagori. But after seconds of battering bullets, the shield had fallen, but Kagori wasn't inside. Iro had reappeared from nowhere, and stabbed the guards with a small, poisonous demon dart. Kagori had reappeared in the back of the presidents, and slashed two in the back, sending two to their death. Another one was stabbed, and men had made a break for it.

With the ruckus of the machine guns, trainers that had taught students had come into the room and saw Kagori. Some had attacked, but only fell slain to his spiritual sword as it seemed to grow more red, and not from blood. After minutes of mindless destruction, Kagori had left the place, rubble and fire. Many were killed, some injured, and only the president had been left unharmed. When a reinforcement had been sent to the place, the president only had one thing on his mind.

"Make sure to tell every Demon Hunter about Kagori's anger and outbreak. He is now a wanted Demon Hunter for treason, and innocent man slaughter."

"Yes, sir." Guards that were available had replied in unison, and they took off to make reports while everyone was being evacuated. Millions of dollars had gone down the drain due to Kagori's outbreak. But worst of all, the president didn't know of anybody who would be able to take out such a strong boy with amazing abilities.