Chapter 18:
DEAL WITH AKUMA☠️🤝
HIKARU TO ONNA
The dark bargain was sealed, and the wheels of a ruthless vengeance were finally set in motion.Hikaru had made a deal once before, but this time, the stakes were entirely different .SHE stood before Akuma, brokering a chilling new pact. SHe demanded that Akuma grant immense power to hER aging comrades—a power lethal enough to ensure their future revenge. In return, they would surrender their very souls to the demon. Akuma readily complied, infusing the old men with his twisted, negative energy and completely restoring their youth. To keep their newly gained abilities bound, Hikaru locked the collective essence of their powers inside a jar, hiding it away in a secret location. Looking at these newly rejuvenated men, it was blindingly clear that they were ready to strike. They shared Hikaru's singular, dark vision: to teach the world the agonizing reality of being completely, utterly powerless, and to make everyone understand the true meaning of absolute helplessness.Meanwhile, the scene shifts to the present, where Onna and Tasumi are talking."You know," Onna said, her voice carrying the faint weight of old memories, "I completely lost my powers when I was a child. It felt horrible. The people around me treated me so terribly back then." She paused, the painful details resurfacing. "It all started with my seal. My uncle did something to it. Later, when my father confronted them about it, they lied straight to his face, claiming my seal was inherently flawed and cursed. They kept pushing that lie until they brainwashed my parents, turning them against me too. They started treating me poorly, and I became nothing but a burden to them. You could say I was cast aside... but look at me now. Being here with all of you has completely changed me."Tasumi let out a soft, heavy sigh, nodding in understanding. "Honestly, everyone has some kind of tragedy in their life."A small, bittersweet smile crept onto Onna’s face. "True, but some tragedies turn out to be beautiful. That’s why they stay with you forever. Don't you think so, Tasumi?" Tasumi simply nodded his head in silent agreement.Far away from their warmth, the narrative shifts back to Hikaru, who is staring intensely at a specific red ribbon—the one Makato had given him long ago.The memory of how he got it rushes back clearly. When Hikaru had first approached Akuma and taken his dark powers, Makato had strongly suspected that something was wrong. He had directly questioned Hikaru about it, but Hikaru denied everything. Seeing through the lie, Makato handed him the red ribbon, telling him it was a specialized tool meant to help him utilize and channel his power.What Makato never revealed was the hidden truth behind the ribbon: it was a silent trap.The ribbon was designed to activate exclusively if the user possessed a natural, internal power source. Makato knew for a fact that Hikaru was naturally powerless. Therefore, if Hikaru tried to use the ribbon and nothing happened, it would prove his innocence. But if the ribbon actually worked, it would mean Hikaru was relying on an external, forbidden source—proving beyond a doubt that she had stolen power from Akuma.Hikaru, completely unaware of this secret test, had tied the ribbon around hER body and used it just once. In that single, fleeting moment of activation, the ribbon sparked to life. With that, Makato’s darkest fears were instantly confirmed. He knew, with absolute certainty, that Hikaru had truly made a deal with the demon.The truth about Hikaru's dark power is officially out, and the youthful elders are armed for war.
Hikaru let out a deep sigh as old memories came rushing back. He remembered the time he was given the chance to choose a name to seal for one of his two children. It was a heavy memory, and the weight of it still lingered in her chest.
Meanwhile, over at the academy, Yuki was sitting with Tatsuya, Kazuya, and Masaru. They were all huddled together, deeply discussing the "Space of Demon."
Yumeko happened to overhear them. Curiously, she walked up and asked, "What are you guys talking about? Which aunty?"
Before Yuki could answer, Tatsuya teased, "Oh, just Yuki’s new friend! Haha!" Masaru and Kazuya burst out laughing along with him.
"Wait, what?!" Yumeko asked, completely confused.
"No, no, no, it's not like that!" Yuki quickly cleared the air and explained the whole story to her.
After listening to everything, Yumeko looked thoughtful. "Hmm... but can someone really pull off such a massive incident so easily?"
Kazuya’s expression turned serious. "Exactly! That’s the point. Those seals aren't something just anyone can come along and destroy. Plus, this involves the Shimaru Sector, which complicates things."
"But that aunty really told me she was going to do something like that!" Yuki insisted.
Tatsuya tried to calm hIS down. "Look, Yuki, it's just not that simple."
Seeing how heated and excited their conversation was getting, Momoko walked over. "What are you all gossiping about so intensely?"
Yumeko briefly filled her in on what they were discussing.
Momoko smiled and suggested, "Alright, how about we all just go to the Space of Demon together?"
Yuki’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes! Let's do it!"
But Masaru quickly chimed in from the side, completely annoyed. "What do you mean yes?! Not again! What is the point of even going there?!"
Tatsuya said, "Wait, aren't we supposed to have a sealed ground?"
"Yeah," Kazuya replied. "Should we head back there then?"
Yuki looked confused but said, "Alright, I guess that makes sense."
"Exactly, problem solved!" Tatsuya smiled.
Yuki thought for a moment and added, "I think I’ll tell my brother about this too."
Masaru nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's a good idea. The more people we have, the easier it’ll be." With that settled, they all agreed to go together.
Later that afternoon, Momoko went over to Sora’s house and was sitting and chatting with Sora’s grandmother. But the moment Momoko brought up the Space of Demons, the grandmother’s face went pale.
"You know, Momoko," the grandmother said, her voice heavy with sorrow, "so many people have gone missing because of it. Not just your grandmother... I don't know where they are now. But sometimes, I just feel like they might return one day—if only to make those who wronged them pay for what they did."
Momoko was completely absorbed in the grandmother's words. Meanwhile, Sora walked in, wiping her hands with a cloth. "Momoko? Are you there?" Sora called out.
Momoko was so distracted that Sora had to call her name a few times before she snapped out of it. "Oh! Sorry, Sora," Momoko said quickly. "Hey, do you want to go out with me for a bit?"
"Go where?" Sora asked, puzzled.
Momoko hesitated, stumbling over her words. Seeing this, Sora’s grandmother gently intervened, "Go on, go with her. Momoko came all this way just to take you out."
So, Sora tagger along with Momoko. As they walked down the street, Sora asked again, "Seriously Momoko, where are you taking me?"
This time, Momoko spilled everything. After listening to the whole story, Sora looked at her, worried. "So, what are we going to do now?"
Momoko looked determined. "We are going to stop those demons and keep the seals safe! Come on, Sora!"
When they finally arrived at the location, they were shocked to see a new face. Yukito had brought his friend, Satoshi Shin, along with him. Momoko and Sora exchanged baffled looks—they absolutely did not expect Satoshi to show up! It turned out Yukito had simply decided to bring his friend into the loop
*They were all standing there together* when Tatsuya leaned in and quietly asked Yuki, "Hey, why is Satoshi up there?"
Yuki shrugged, "I have no idea, Yukito came along with him!"
But what surprised everyone even more was seeing Kitsune there. No one had even mentioned anything to Kitsune.
Yuki looked over and asked, "Kitsune, is that really you?"
With a sly little smirk, Kitsune replied, "Yep, it's me!"
Tatsuya frowned, "What are you even doing here?"
"Oh, just hanging out," Kitsune said casually.
Masaru piped up, "Wait, who told you we were coming here?"
"No one," Kitsune replied mysteriously. "I just overheard it from you guys!"
The whole thing felt incredibly strange to them. Since they were all just standing around and getting super bored, Yuki suddenly blurted out, "Hey, let's play a game!"
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