His first friend.
Netami stood in front of him, the only difference was that his eyes were one of a demon now.
"How pathetic. I can't imagine how you didn't figure out that this boy was playing and using you all along."
'I did. But I didn't want to believe it. Childish isn't it?'
Max smiled at the demon.
...
Demons. They are entities without a physical form, thus they create contracts with other beings. In truth, it's rare to see other creatures except humans make such arrangements. Maybe due to jealousy, pride, or a desire for power. But a large majority of humans do this.
When negotiating a contract, you can wish for whatever you want, love and beauty, power, and many more but these are the most common. This is also where outlawed powers come from.
Although outlawed powers are illegal, entering into one of these contracts is not. Humans do not have the ability to make it illegal. If they did, they would be crushed by the dragons, who are allies of the demons.
By marrying, the dragon king Axel and the demon queen, their species became allies.
Now, in exchange for your desire, you must become a demon vessel. This means you must be willing to allow a demon to take over your body whenever it wants.
Max has always considered this a bad deal because there were so many loopholes for the demon side.
And it seems he was right looking at the demon that was in control of Netami's body.
Max knew something was wrong since the first floor. Now that his suspicions were proven correct he had an idea of what happened.
The haunted mansion was most likely his family's, which was most likely one of those that specialized in demon contracts. This explains why Netami was so knowledgeable about the beasts, how he recalled the path out, and how to open the door.
Seeing that the demon was using a similar drive to his, this confirmed to Max that he was the one who defeated the kidnappers that day. Netami's family, who most likely had ties to them, were informed of what had occurred.
Netami, hearing of a person with such a rare drive, most likely desired it, but he didn't want to settle with the usual outlawed one, he wanted it to be similar to the ancient one he had just heard about. So he went to Max's house, planned a scenario to let help utilize his drive, and then took a sample through the door.
This explained Netami's lack of surprise and his compliments on Max having the ancient drive. And why he wasn't there at night.
He probably went to make the deal, wishing for the demon to give him the outlawed darkness but to mix it with the sample.
He did this thinking he could overpower the demon and not let it control him, but it seems like it didn't turn out that way.
"You know, you shouldn't show people such a rare power. Who knows how they will react to a child having this drive? No record of it has been shown in a while. Makes me wonder why you have it."
'Im not sure myself. This is all going too fast.'
The demon sighed.
"It's sad that I have to kill such a rare being."
Max reached for the wooden sword he had concealed in the scabbard from the haunted house and assumed his regular combat posture.
Right foot in front, the arm that clutched the sword in the back, waist turned slightly to the right.
"A wooden sword? So you are stupid."
Max closed his eyes and exhaled, his drive escaping from his palm and going around his sword.
"That's amazing! That's what you expect me to say, child? I have seen many people use this trick. Even I can do it."
He says as his sword got covered in a black liquid, the only difference was that it was not as dark as Max's.
Max lashes at the demon, attempting to strike him, but he blocks him and attacks back, sending Max flying. He kept trying but got stopped every time.
His drive appears to be completely dysfunctional. It was almost as if it couldn't harm the monster. But, why?
Meanwhile, Max's strikes were ineffective, the demons were causing significant damage.
And not after a while he got knocked unconscious.
When he wakes up he finds himself in his soul. The giant figure from before standing in front of him, now that Max can properly look at it he can figure out to what creature it belonged, a dragon's.
"You are wasting your time using Dark Matter."
'Dark matter? What even is that? And who are you and how are you here?"
"Ah yes, I forgot you humans call it darkness. As for who I am and how I can't fully tell you. I am a dragon."
Max blinks twice.
'Yeah... I can see that.'
"And you are my vessel."
'Vessel? But you aren't a demon?'
"Demons aren't the only ones to utilize human vessels. Dragons exploit humans because of their small but powerful bodies. However, our strategies for obtaining one are different. We infiltrate the human body and gradually gain control of it. I was meant to have control of yours since the day you were kidnapped, but for some reason, I couldn't."
'So being a dragon vessel is even worse than being one for a demon.'
"Il tell you more information later on, now you have to defeat this demon."
'I thought you were allies with them so why would you help me defeat him?'
"That's correct, but if you die, I'll die with you, and I won't be able to take control of your body."
'Then this power is yours isn't it'
"Yes... but not entirely right."
Max tilted his head in confusion.
"Meanwhile it's true that I was the reason you have this ancient drive, the reason I chose you is because I felt some sort of connection. But now let's focus we don't have much time."
Max sighed, he still had many questions.
"The ancient drive you humans call darkness. Its actual name is Dark Matter. I named it myself. By definition, it is essentially nothing.
'Isn't it shadow and things?'
"No. People derived that idea from the outlawed version. The real deal is much more complicated. In the beginning, there was light and the lack of it. Many believe that is darkness. But even it contains some, darkness absorbs light. So it doesn't lack it."
Max fell silent, he didn't comprehend a word.
"Okay, to put it simply, it is the material in space.
'Oh ok.'
"Dark matter doesn't absorb light at all, therefore it cannot be seen, which means it lacks properties, making it an extremely flexible drive. Consider a fire drive, you can vary its shape, make it larger, and so on, but it has fixed features that cannot be changed."
Listening to the dragons continue to spout random information Max couldn't help but be on the verge of falling asleep.
"Dark matter can manipulated in a variety of ways, the most important of which is changing its form of aggregation. It is simpler to retain it as a liquid, which is its natural state, but, you can make it solid and create things, and even a gas, but it isn't as helpful in those states, I recommend that you keep it as a liquid since it is much more useful that way."
'Sorry to tell you... but I won't be able to experiment with that if you continue saying random stuff I don't need and don't tell me how to defeat that guy!'
"Im getting there. The reason your drive isn't working is because one of the properties that you can't change about dark matter, is that it tends to want to absorb strong drives to make itself stronger, but right now yours is weaker than the demons so instead of doing that, the opposite is happening. So you shouldn't use it"
'...Couldn't you just tell me that earlier! Plus what else am I supposed to do?"
"Simple, use your drive."
A nerve appears on Max's head almost popping.
'Im sorry to say but I don't have a drive of my own.'
"You do. You haven't been able to utilize it since your body is too weak to use both of them. After I got control of it for a while, it strengthened, and now you just have to try to get it out of your soul where it's resting."
'Tell me do you see something else besides this darkn- I mean dark matter in here?'
"Yes. You did too last time you were here."
Max's face lights up with recognition as he glances at the faint blue light he saw the last time he came here.
'That's my drive? Looks quite weak, what even is it.'
"You will see. Now do it we don't have much time."
Max approaches the little light, sighs, and then places his palm on the black matter that surrounds it. It was incredibly slimy, so he was able to rip it. Just then, blue lightning struck the area that was no longer covered by the liquid.
"Oh, and I forgot to say, il take control."
'Wait what?!'
...
After the demon knocked Max unconscious, he sighed and withdrew his drive.
"Such wasted potential. It's sad."
Then he turned around and started leaving. What he didn't expect was that when he opened his eyes after blinking, he would be met by the ground.
When he turned to see what had occurred, he found the kid on a rock that once belonged to the orphanage, smiling. His irises were blue, and his pupils white and were now vertical slits.
Blue electricity flowed over his body.
"Dragon eyes, blue electricity? Ah, I didn't know this was your vessel right hand of the dragon king."
He laughed.
'It isn't.'
"Huh, but if it isn't who are you?"
'I... am Azel the dark matter dragon, sibling of the demon king.'
The demon frowned.
"Oh, it's you. What do you want? Since when do you have a vessel? And why are you using one of your friend's power instead of yours?"
'Il only answer one of your questions. Im here to kill you.'
In the next second, electricity erupted from the earth and struck the demon, and then a powerful kick infused with electricity launched him into the air. Then thunder struck him to the ground again.
The demon coughed blood.
"Do you not have any pride, how dare you attack me while we were talking?"
'That is your fault. It's not a big deal either way. We both know you demons can't die.'
Unlike dragons, demons even when in control of their vessel can't die. Only their vessel does. They go back to the demon kingdom.
'You can only defeat a demon, not kill one. They are parasites clinging to others taking advantage of them.'
Azel looked disgusted.
'Tell me demon what's your name.'
"Revertar, remember that name."
As Netami's eyes turned normal, he looked confused.
Seeing this, Max returned to normal too. He held his sword to Netami's neck.
"Max?"
He looked around
"This isn't what it seems."
Max smiled.
'Don't worry I don't hate you... friend.'
He then stabbed his neck killing him.
It was over.
Max looked at the bracelet around Netami's arm. It held a black crystal inside, it was quite beautiful, it was made of a metal that wasn't very shiny.
He smiled, as he took it and put it around his arm.
'Now we can be together forever.'