Kira

~

A cool chilling breeze of tense energy blew through the training yard as Troy and Kuro stared each other down, both looking so smug I felt like smacking them upside the head.

I wouldn't lie though, a low thrum of energy buzzed within my own veins, sensing the impending fight. I'd never gotten a chance to study Kuro's fighting style since we were always mid-battle.

A couple of feathers shed from his wings, orbiting him in different directions like he was a planet and they were his moons, moving faster and faster until one suddenly dashed forward toward Troy who swiftly managed to dodge.

The blond glared, silent but menacing.

I was shocked as well and I wasn't even the one being attacked, "Hey! No one said you could start!"

"Real battles don't wait until you're ready," Kuro smirked, "Come at me with your best shot, Archer." He taunted as more feathers sailed towards him.

"If you wish," Troy shot back, his hands glowed brightly, ripples of light and electricity combining to form golden glowing katana blades. He launched toward the dark-haired boy, slashing away feathers that got too close and dodging those he could.

A direct approach to get Kuro to move would be best, he often stood still, sending feathers and talismans flying toward his targets. If they moved too much, a drop of their blood in his system would allow him control over their bodies for a duration of time I was yet to be sure of. He was a terrifying opponent to go against with no knowledge.

Getting him to move would be the best option since his focus would be lessened. He had a quick mind but there had to be limits to how much he could process at once. Attacks from various angles were also a good option.

Troy seemed to have grasped that, pausing his attacks to charge up, eyes gleaming as a spell circle appeared on the ground below him, calling my full attention. The circle grew wider, stopping just before the makeshift bench press.

Kuro's brows creased in confusion and interest, "Learned something new?"

"It's not perfected but I got the idea from the plan Kira made to rescue you. An attack covering a single area, but without a metal weapon like chains to take my sparks where I want, I'll have to settle for a smaller space until I grow stronger."

"I'm almost worried," Kuro said.

"Let's remedy that," Troy hissed, without warning, tendrils of lightning shot out from various points of the circle, causing Kuro's eyes to widen. He seemed to have picked up the danger he was in. Sending out too many feathers to defend himself would leave him trapped in the middle with no means of escape if Troy decided to come after him.

I saw the smirk on his lips as his feathers attached themselves in one swift movement and he took off the ground, darting through the air to land on a pile of scrap, "Nice going, Archer, you actually got me to move. But that little trick won't work in an aerial battle," he called down at the blond.

"I still have my Thunderstrike attack,"

"That move drains you out, remember?" I pointed out. All of Troy's abilities held a destructive force behind them but he'd informed us that using his wings drained him slightly and the large pillar of lightning he called a Thunderstrike left him with little energy after.

Those things aside, the raw power and his skill with various weapons were a threat in their own right. He could use both hands and knew the right positions to strike.

I watched their fight, completely enthralled as they glided and soared through the air. Sparks, dust, and feather flew in every direction. My throat grew dry and my heart beat rapidly within my chest.

Why was I so captured by this? Why did my body tremble so intensely with every hard strike that tore through the air, seemingly pushing me further with the force of the pressure. A distant echo seemed to roar in my ears, reacting to the air full of violence.

I put my right hand to my chest, struggling to contain the strange feeling that pushed against my reasoning, was I becoming a monster?

A dry chuckle filled my mind, 'That was quick,' Lucifer's voice came.

'Start making sense before I tune you out,' I spat back.

'That'd do more harm than good,' Mammon said.

I grit my teeth, eyes flitting back up to watch the boys, they still seemed very engrossed in their fight.

'Talk,' I told the demons.

'Harbouring demons within your own soul and body is sure to have side effects, Kira,' Lucifer explained, 'Which is why being pure of heart and chosen by the universe is a big part of being a Seal Keeper.'

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

'I'm not Pure of Heart, big whoop, so what?'

'So you have less resistance to the urges that seep from us demons Kira. The six of us are joined as one, with you as the head and heart, but our energies still mix.' Mammon added.

'Like several brooks seeping into one river,' Lucifer hummed, 'Demons are categorized by very few things, Bloodlust, dark magic, and so much hunger.'

I stared down at my hands, "What are you trying to say?" I asked, forgetting to keep the conversation in my head.

'It's simple, Kira; you're not a monster, not yet, but soon enough, you'll need to learn to exercise restraint. The kind of restraint that separates a demon from a low-level spirit.' He replied.

I was shaking, I didn't want to believe his words were true. I was human, not some part demon monster that would need drawing blood to stay sated.

I clutched at my heart, not realizing when I'd begun to struggle for breath. I needed to calm down and think this all through. I would be fine as long as I held it together. I...

"Demona, are you paying attention?!" Kuro squeaked wildly as he was slung through the air.

"You're the one who should be paying attention, brat!" Troy scowled, a giant lightning ball aimed at the falling boy.

I flashed a half-hearted grin their way, "You're both doing amazing!"

Kuro beamed, and Troy acted like he hadn't heard me but I caught his eyes flashing my way when I laid down on the bench press once more.

'I'm not a monster, and I won't become one,' I whispered into the dead of the night.

***

"'Terror sweeps Tokyo as ten citizens go missing in one night,'" I muttered the title of the online news article that made me sit upright in my seat on the bus.

The three of us had split up for patrol immediately after the sparring fight and some warmup. Sure we couldn't cover the whole of the city accurately in one night but with ten victims I'm sure we should have been able to sense something.

I met Troy at the gate, waiting as usual but Kuro wasn't there. I deduced that he must be at the hospital with Ryu.

"Did you see the news this morning?" The blond asked on our way to class.

"I read it on the bus. Nightmare's making a pretty bold move, you think he's tired of hiding?" I questioned in turn.

"Maybe, that, or he's planning something big."

"That thought doesn't sit well with me."

Troy nodded, "We need to stop the abduction before the public grows restless. Restlessness and chaos feed Demons and Yokai."

"I've got Demons as well-"

"He's got more, and you're not at full power."

"You think he's trying to shut us down?"

Troy nodded again. We turned into the classroom and I followed him to his seat. "How do you suggest we go about it?" He went further to ask.

"I'll think about it, do the same so we have more options. I'm sure Kuro's heard about it and he's working on his," I stated, turning to head for my own seat when he called out. I stopped without looking back.

"Vermillion," he paused, I could feel his eyes on my neck, "Remember, you're in control."

I nodded.

***

We all concluded that searching areas where the victims' lived would be best. All the victims came from the less lavish districts with slightly higher crime rates and more people willing to creep about at night for a chance to carry out shady activities.

Despite our best attempts, people still went missing, numbers growing by the day like Nightmare was picking victims a step ahead.

Kuro did his best to fight out where the next location might be but I'd barely stepped foot on my allocated plot when I heard a shrill scream. I dashed into the alley it came from, only to see a young woman being pulled into some sort of portal.

A hand was over her mouth to muffle her screams as she struggled. Her capture was an all too familiar demon with purple eyes blowing through the eye slits of a Kabuki mask.

"Ahlai!" I screamed in rage, staff forming in my grasp as I threw myself towards them, paying no mind to how fast the portal was closing. I could still make it, I was faster, I could save that woman.

I saw a glint of light fly towards me, I tried to dodge but I was too late, a sharp pain flared up in my shoulder. I looked down to glare at one of Ahlai's golden kunai knives, plunged deep into my skin, blood gushing out from the wound. I turned back to her.

"You're too late, dear Demon Keeper. Let us meet again on a more fearsome battle where I can drink in your despair all I want," she said, eyes never leaving my face.

I growled, pushing through the pain to yank out the knife and throw it back but the portal closed in wisps of grayish-black smoke.

I punched the ground in anger and frustration, "Damn it!"

***

"Portals, huh?" Kuro asked when I was done narrating what had happened, I nodded, "Makes sense how they can take so many people in one night."

"I couldn't stop her, I should have been able to but I reacted too fast without thinking," I seethed throwing myself to the flat surface of the roof we stood on.

"No use dwelling on it now, let's go. If there's a chance they're looking for another victim, we'll stop them." Troy voiced.

He was right, we had work to do.

***

Except after that night, no other citizens went missing. The three of us crunched the numbers; over the course of a week, fifty citizens had gone missing.

The next few days were quiet, with the only news being of pointless police investigations. Those people were probably dead and I knew it. Their faces on the news channel haunted my dreams giving me sleepless nights, and leaving me to rely on my regeneration abilities for energy throughout the day.

I got out of bed, ready to head to school so I could get the day over with. I'd barely stepped into the kitchen when I heard Ares worried voice call from the living room.

I carried the empty bowl I had been about to fill with cereal into the room so I could ask what he wanted when I saw it.

Live feed of the Tokyo Tower in the Shiba-koen district was playing on the flat-screen TV. A white banner was blowing in the wind, dark red words were angrily scrawled across it.

The letters at the bottom were smaller and in an indecipherable scrawl that had to be another language.

The bolder letters at the top were definitely in Japanese, my eyes widened as I read through, and the bowl slipped from my hand. I thank the gods that it was made of plastic as the sentence played on in my mind.

'Will you come Demon Keeper?"