"Fine Chiaki, I guess you have some questions and I have no other choice but to answer them." (I)

I waited until it was only the two of us to talk about stuff you would normally get taken into custody for saying out loud.

Chiaki, whilst being mentally at her limits doesn't seem to be against this.

But my concerns grow, as her aura grows darker and darker.

I would like to have Zika here for this since despite her abrasive nature she can be fairly eloquent.

Yet I guess if I would call her again she might completely freak out for calling her for every little thing.

And Chiaki would freak out because of the suddenly appearing demon.

The suddenly appearing angry demon.

So it seems I have to manage this talk alone and let Chiaki speak now.

"Wh-where were you? You s-suddenly disappeared and, and... Why did no one notice?!" (C)

"I... had a talk with the demon that targeted you. Don't worry, she won't go after you anymore." (I)

"M-more?!" (C)

"In this school there are apparently seven. God Chiaki! Could you please stop trembling? I am really not going to harm you!" (I)

"I, I try but... I just can't." (C)

"Really Chiaki, I don't know how I can prove to you that I am I and no one else. It's hard enough on me and this really doesn't make me feel better." (I)

"Th-that's not i-it!" (C)

"What is it then? I am truly me! Do you have a phobia of... demons?" (I)

If I had any other word I would use it, but I certainly have no idea about my persona.

I wait for a reply, but Chiaki looks just to the ground.

First I believe she wants to stop talking now, but then...

Is her face... red?

She is embarrassed!!

"No... don't tell me." (I)

"Y-you remember that I-I came to school just in t-the second g-grade?" (C)

"Yes?" (I)

"I... I had some p-problems before. I saw... th-things. Terrible things. I-in all the corners a-and shadows." (C)

Dark places?

She means the ghosts!

"You can see them too?" (I)

"N-no." (C)

"But didn't you say..." (I)

"W-when it got really b-bad mum brought me... to a temple. I don't know where. I-I got an amulet there. H-here." (C)

She raises her hand and shows a bracelet bound to her wrist consisting of several pearls with intricate patterns on them.

Never paid much attention to it.

Thought it was some kind of accessory.

"After I h-had this there w-were no more... things. I even be-began to think they didn't exist." (C)

Seems like I have somehow ruined that for her.

"When, when you talked with Karin I... I thought for a moment I saw something on you. I... I became worried and... and took it off!" (C)

Oh, Chiaki. Bad mistake!

"You saw something then, right?" (I)

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"S-something? Y-yes, something. Right." (C)

Sounds like it was a little bit more than something.

She manages to raise her gaze and look at me.

"When I did it... I had a shallow idea from the past. I-it was long ago, but I thought I would know what it would be like at worst." (C)

I start to massage my temples.

"Ch-Chiaki I'm sorry." (I)

"I saw... I saw..." (C)

Tears well up in her eyes and my conscience grows heavier and heavier.

I have a good hunch what it was that she saw.

"In one moment everything turned dark! There... spread something! Eyes everywhere! All staring in my direction while I felt how something grabbed after me. And in the middle... Y-you two, but not you. And I was so close!" (C)

The tears stream steadily down her face and the shivers get worse and worse.

"Chiaki, I-I don't know what to say." (I)

"I put it directly back on and everything went back to normal. But still whenever I saw you it felt... wrong. There was this picture I had in my mind and I can't get rid of it. No matter how hard I tried to tell me that there is nothing! That the world I see with the bracelet is the real one! But then... in the swimming hall. I had it on when... your eyes! Everything was so dark!!! Everything is real! They are everywhere! They, they hunted me! They will do it again! And, and eat m..." (C)

At this moment I throw myself at her and take her in my arms.

Might have been too aggressive and is absolutely not my style, but I can see when something goes in the wrong direction and I'm rather sure it can't get worse with Chiaki.

She is paralyzed when I do this, maybe close to a heart attack.

"Chiaki, stop this! I-I promise that nothing will happen to you! I won't allow it! No matter what I will keep you safe!" (I)

She still trembles and her tears flow further and then...

"Waaaahhh! Sob! Wuahh!" (C)

I have never seen Chiaki like this.

It's rather hard to bear it when someone you care about is in this state.

Even more, someone who is always so cheerful and happy.

But she doesn't move.

She's not trying to fend me off.

At least she doesn't hate me, I believe.

I have to believe!

It needs a while but eventually, she calms down.

"Is it better?" (I)

"I, I think. Sniff!" (C)

"I know you are scared of me Chiaki and honestly I am too. It's not like I am totally clear with everything." (I)

"I-it's just all these memories. They come back and... and... Oh god... I'm scared." (C)

"This is okay. As I said, we are both in this and I find these monsters scary as well." (C)

"You, you said you would protect me. But how?" (C)

"As much I know, ghosts don't notice you if you don't react to them. So your bracelet should help. If, if you need more... Karin suggested I could bind a demon to you to protect you." (I)

Her face cramps tightly up.

"Just a suggestion! A suggestion! Nothing else!" (I)

"Ka-Karin said that?" (C)

"Well, you should have seen her as well. I mean different to me she's a genuine demon." (I)

"A genuine? You-you're not?" (C)

"Urgh, ehm... Sorry, don't know. This, this demon stuff is all new to me." (I)

"New? How could it be new? (C)

"It... Kinda slipped into it. Or it into me."

"So it... it happened to you?" (C)

"Well, yes! I seriously don't want to talk about what happened in specific. Rather traumatic. But it happened recently." (I)

"Recently?" (C)

"Umh; You know, since I am no longer this tired." (I)

"This was yesterday!" (C)

"Exactly!" (I)

"So everywhere are ghosts?" (C)

"Not so many at the moment. It seems I scared most of them off. This darkness, you remember?" (I)

Her face shows she does just too well.

"So, naturally I would protect you when you are around. But this demon thing. It would mean that I could... make something and put it in your shadow or so. Then it would fight for you if necessary. That was what I was told." (I)

"No, no, no, no, no, no! Please not!" (C)

She truly seems to be a bit phobic.

"I, I don't think you're in danger. Maybe I can ask Karin if she would know about a solution." (I)

It is really hard not to accidentally use her real name.

"And... Karin is a real demon?" (C)

"I found out just yesterday. She acted weird. You remember her sprint? Also, there are some other things." (I)

I am still not sure if I should tell her about the smoke, since knowing she is a target might stress her.

"B-but we were the whole day together." (C)

"Yes. She is rather good at acting. But I need to say when you made her wear that summer dress I actually chuckled. Pfft!" (I)

"She, she isn't angry, right?" (C)

"If she has a problem with anyone then it's me. I dragged her along. You should just watch out that you don't feel bad around her." (I)

"Sorry, I don't understand." (C)

"She eats dark emotions. Over them she drains life! Not all of it, but enough so that you will feel tired when she's done." (I)

At least, I should give her this warning.

Chiaki is still uneasy, but I guess she might believe me that I won't harm her.

"A-and this demon-thing. Is this... How are you feeling?" (C)

It's considerate of her that even now she thinks about me.

"Right... It's definitely strange. Until now I barely coped by not thinking about it. I can shift my body, but sometimes there are some slips like before. Yet if I ignore it I can feel somewhat normal. That helps." (I)

"I-Iori... I'm sorry." (C)

"No need to. After I heard your story "I" felt guilty. Honestly, I am as scared of all this stuff as you are and reacted exactly the same. Still. You are my friend." (I)

She tries to smile, but the visible strain on her works against this.

"I have to go now Chiaki. If I wait too long mum might get worried. Or believe I've got again sucked into another dimension." (I)

"She knows? Another dimension!?" (C)

"I had issues with my demon form. It's rather complicated right now." (I)

"F-fine. I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm able to see it yet." (C)

"That's absolutely fine. Also, it would have been embarrassing for me to show it." (I)

"O-okay. Bye then." (C)

"Goodbye, Chiaki. See you tomorrow! And if you need any help, please come to me!" (I)

"G-good!" (C)

Like this, a rather unsettling day ends and I am actually glad that despite all that happened it ended so well.

Things could develop worse.