Revelation

My body was trembling with fear, laying on the floor, looking at the bizarre scene that was going on before my eyes. All around, darkness and dust were covering everything, like if I was in a desert at night. It's supposed to be very cold in those places when night falls; well, it was just as cold here too. The seconds after the attack are passing by slowly, like if I could see everything and think about every moment. Still, I'm unable to move, my arms and legs don't answer and feel extremely heavy.

I'm thinking about what happened today. I shouldn't be even thinking about it in a life or death, but all this seems like a dream. I mean, I dated the girl of my dreams and now I'm on a superhero movie scene. If just a month ago you told me that something like that would happen I wouldn't believe it. But now, this might change everything.

I want to think this is all a dream, or that this guy is a thief or a pranker. But I've never seen a human being being able to jump and run at that speed, not while wearing a full suit of armor: His body seems to shine with a soft purple glow, like if a neon light was inserted on his body.

I try to look at his face, he's probably ten meters away from where we are, but I can't see much. I can see something that looks like an evil grin on his face though. That doesn't make me feel good about the situation. His eyes seem to shine in the same way an animal's eyes shine when it's being pointed at with a lantern. I can feel an inmense rage from the way he looks at us.

Ai is closer to me, maybe three meters away, but I can't see her clearly. Something that looks like a whirlwind is engulfing her. But she only looks like silhouette now. I'm unable to distinguish whether she's scared or angry, but her stance makes me think she's stronger than it seems. At least she didn't fall in her back like myself.

I try to shout at her, but the sound doesn't come out. It's like I'm screaming underwater. I'm getting desperate, and the wind and darkness is not helping.

I can't believe my first date is ending like this. Well, at least it was with her... I just wish I could have kissed her at least once...

All of a sudden a glimmering light starts coming out from Ai's body. It shines in the same way the attacker is shining, but with a soft red light. The whirlwind around her disappears and I can see her more clearly.

She seems completely different from before: her clothes are all gone and are replaced by what seems like a small string bikini with some metal plates on her chest, barely covering her breasts and pressing them together in a huge cleavage. Basically what most people call bikini armor in videogames or media like that. Not only that has changed about her: small horns come out of her head, her hair looks slightly clearer and there's a tail coming out of her back.

She's transformed into a literal devil. A super cute devil, but a devil nontheless. Now the situation is completely out of control. At least she seems like she's protecting me, although I can't really know, as I can't hear her. I feel a lot safer now, but I'm still really nervous.

-So you're going to defend your lousy human boyfriend-the man in black says-Too bad I'm gonna crush you both!

-I'm not gonna let you-Ai says. I've never heard her so firm before. Her voice still sounds tender even while angry.

-I really want to test my blades with your body.-the attacker points at her with his arm, which seems like a dark green sword now.-I'll be sure to kill the guy and hurt you in the most painful ways possible. I'm sure Master will be pleased.

-I want to see you try!-Ai shouts while adopting a fighting stance.

All of this is really confusing me. Who is Ai? And who is this Master the man in black talks about? And why do they want to hurt her? I can't think too much about the answers, because my life must be at risk on a fight like this.

I wonder if anyone is seeing this and calling the police. I don't think I would be able to explain what happened to a police officer. But I don't see anyone around, and the neighborhood seems as silent as always. 

Still, I can't help thinking Ai looks really sexy. I already said I shouldn't be thinking about something like that in this situation, but her body is getting all of my attention. She looks one of these sexy cosplayers, but her outfit is not a cosplay: it's an actual fighting suit, even when it doesn't make any sense. Well, maybe for demons it does.

The man in black lets out a scream, a loud battle screams and runs fast towards us lifting his arm in the air like a mace.

Ai jumps fast in front of me to protect me from the attack. I brace myself waiting for the impact. The attacker slashes towards Ai. Everything trembles around me, as I see Ai crossing her arms to stop the strike. Some kind of invisible barrier comes out of her and blows the enemy some meters away

-I didn't think you'd be so tough.-the demon complains-Don't worry, you won't last much.

The devil changes attack position. Now it seems like he wants to thrust instead of slashing. Ai is still defending. I can see a force around her, like some kind of energy, but I can't really describe it. After all, I've never seen something like it.

This time, instead of running towards us, the demon jumps in the air like if he's flying. It clearly has an inhuman superpower, as I don't think any human being can jump twenty meters up high. Not that I know.

When he reaches a certain height, he goes nosedive towards us. I'm feeling really scared as he falls at a massive speed. I close my eyes for a second to find Ai still standing and the attacker crashing against the barrier she created around me.

Then, in a split second, she takes out the barrier and gets quickly behind the devil, in a way that seems like she's flying around, to then punch him in the back. I hear a metallic noise coming from the creature's body, as he tries to escape the next blow Ai is about to throw.

-Damn!! You got me there!-he screams after escaping.-Now the human will pay.-he says pointing at me.

-I won't let you!

The demon runs towards me at full speed preparing his arms to attack. The air around him sounds like it's being cutted with a whip or knife. I can see him clearly even when he seems to be coming at me at supersonic speed.

Ai then jumps in her direction, but not quickly enough to avoid the impact. She manages to avoid being slashed but she's still hit by her rival's body.

I take the chance and jump behind then, trying to retreat. Ai has saved me once again, but she risked her life while doing it. The devil seemed to understand that it would be easier to hit her if she attacked me. It's the kind of logic a demon would probably have after all.

Ai gets up as fast as she can and strikes again: the two demons begin a wild fight. They strike each other really fast and with lots of strength. I have never seen anything like that before except in movies. The way they hit each other is savage, but they don't seem to take much damage.

The fight continues for a bit more than a minute. There doesn't seem to be a clear winner as they both respond to each other attacks without even flinching.

Then, in the heat of the battle, a sudden flash comes out between them. Seems Ai has hit a vital point in the demon's armor, because the creature emmited a sound similar to a crystal breaking, and he retreated quickly to the position where he appeared before us.

Ai is looking tired. While fortunately she doesn't seem particularly damaged, she seems like she wouldn't be able to resist that pace much longer.

Luckily for us, the aggressor doesn't seem like he's able to put up a fight either, as he's grabbing his chest as if he was really wounded.

-Damn wench-he shouts-I'll be back, and this time I'll get you for sure.

A black light comes from under his feet, as he begins to disappear in the night. Like a mage, there's no trace of him after he does so.

All around, there's silence. Well, not complete silence, as I can hear the TV in someone's house with some random night show. It seems like nobody has seen the massive fight that has just finished between Ai and the mysterious visitor.

I realize that what just happened was real, and that everything I saw was true. After all, Ai is still looking like a demon. I can't believe this is happening. She really looks like a cosplayer or something like that. I never imagined her doing it, but now I totally see it. Her body is definitely stunning.

-A-are you OK?-I ask her. She's standing there, speechless, as if she had seen something really scary.. And I can understand why; after all, that battle was like nothing I had ever seen before.

It takes her a while until she answers in a voice that is almost inaudible:

-It's OK... Kazuki... I'm sorry...

I get closer to her. I don't really feel capable to comfort her, but I should try and do my best. She's still there, half naked, so I put my jacket on her shoulders.

-Are you hurt?-I ask her

-No, Kazuki, I'm OK... I just... want to go home...

We begin to walk towards our apartment. She's silent and her face looks really sad. I feel she's trying hard not to cry, not to look weak. I know she's really strong, in a different way from Sumire of course, but still strong. I can't help but admire her now, even if I don't understand what's happening.

We get to the apartment building, and we stand silent by her door. I really don't know what to say. This is not the end for a date I was hoping for. At least we didn't die.

-Would you come inside?-she says-I need to explain everything to you. I'm sorry to have dragged you into this.

-It's OK, I don't mind.

-I'm not sure if you will believe me, but know that everything I tell you is the truth.

-I don't doubt you, really...

After what happened some minutes ago, I would believe anything she says. Even if she told I'm actually dead and she's an angel, I'll believe it.

She opens the door and we walk to her bedroom. She sits on the bed looking really tired. She can barely stay sitting down.

The scene is extremely strange. I'm standing before a half naked girl who's dressed up as a demon explaining something out of this world. Not even in my fantasies I'd find such a weird scene. Not that my fantasies are weird though.

-Kazuki... You're probably not going to believe what I'm going to tell you. It's something beyond human comprenhension, but it involves you and all the universe as well.

Her face is looking down, like trying to remember something long forgotten.

-You've probably guessed by now, but I'm not human. I'm a demon. You're probably hating me now for this, but I have a reason for being here in your world. I don't expect you understand me, and it really hurts me to see that I put you in danger because of my own decisions.

-You don't have to be sorry. Really. I don't care if you're human or not. You protected me, you cared about me enough to go on a date with me, you didn't mind being together with me when I was feeling alone. You're the only person that cared enough to be there. For that alone, I'm grateful.

I feel like I'm about to cry in any moment. I opened myself to her in a way I never thought I'd do. Or maybe it's the emotion I should have felt a while ago that is finally getting to me.

-I'm...I'm happy-Ai says while crying.-I thought you'd hate me for this...

She keeps crying for a while. I sit down by her side, and grab her while she cries. I'm crying too, it's like seeing her like that breaks my heart.

-I'm sorry...-she says once in a while-I should... have told you everything that night...

We keep crying together for a while, until she tries to stop and talk again:

-I'll tell you my story. I want you to know who I am.

She then begins to talk, a lot calmer, but still crying a bit sometimes

-I came from a different world than yours. It's another dimension, that works with different rules than this one. In our world, we feed on negative energy. It might be a bit hard to explain, but this energy is the one that is generated by negative emotions, such as hatred, fear, sadness, even pleasure. Have you ever thought why pleasure is supposed to be similar to pain?

-I... really haven't

-Well, different demon races feed on different emotions. We're not like humans, who are only one species. There are lots of different demon species coexisting in the same space. My real body looks like this, similar to a human being, but other demons look completely different. That can be explained because some demons species are hybrids of human and demon, that end up looking more like humans in their real form. I'm one of them. You might have heard of succubus for example, that's another race that looks a lot like human beings while being demons.

I know a bit about succubus, but probably in stuff I wouldn't show to Ai.

-Our world is driven by a hierarchic system. We are not equal: there are ranks and different status. It's completely different to your society.

I think to myself that maybe our society is like that too, but not that explicit regarding hierarchies.

-I'm what you could call a middle class demon. Not powerful as the Demon Lords, but stronger than most lower level demonic creatures. You could compare my position to that of lower nobiliary families in your world.

I understand most countries don't have noble people anymore, but I guess the comparison works. I start to think about how many demons there might be out there and how big and terrifying Demon Lords might be. They probably don't look like anything I can even try to imagine.

-My life was quiet and uneventful, or at least I liked to think so... Adramelech, one of the powerful Demon Lord decided to take me as his wife. My family couldn't reject the offer, after all, they were of a lower rank, and the marriage would bring them wealth and fame. I really disliked the idea, but I was unable to escape.

The tears begin to flow again down her cheeks. She can hardly speak, as she hides her face on my chest while holding me against her.

-I always dreamt of marrying someone I really loved. I imagine living with someone I could look in the eyes and feel protected and cared about. All my dreams were torn down to pieces when I recieved the message telling me I was being taken to get married with that creature. I didn't even know his face, but I was told that he was from a more brutal and powerful species, and that I shouldn't resist him.

I'm about to break down and cry as well. I can't stand seeing her like that.

-The night we got married... I can't really... I don't want to... I was told not to worry, that it should be alright... How wrong I was to think that...All my memories of that night... hurt me even today... He said I was worthless, that I would be forever tied to him, even if I wanted to go away...

She stays silent for a while. I can't think of anything adequate to say to her. I think anything I could say might hurt her after all. Then she starts again:

-The day after, I decided to go away. I didn't even care about anyone, not even about my family: those were the ones who sold me like a slave to that monster. So I decided to go to the human world. I was told that it wasn't a good place either, but anything would be better than the torture that expected me back home. While Adramelech was away on other Demon Lord's castle, I took my chance, beat one of the guards that had me locked up, and crossed the palace's portal connecting to this dimension. It didn't took me long to get used to this place. I just tried to be as I always wanted to be: happy, caring, loving, innocent. All the things Adramelech tried to take away from me.

-There isn't a way for you to divorce him?-that was probably the most silly question I could ever ask.

-Well, just look at me...-she separates for a while from me and asks me to look at her voluptuous body. -I'm marked as his property, even if I don't want it.-Her body shines with a golden glow, engraved like a tattoo on her body.-The only way I can be free is defeating him... But that's impossible. The only thing I can do is try to live hidden here. But as you have seen, they have located me...

She hugs me again, like if she's looking for me to protect her.

-I'm sorry, I didn't want you to be involved on this. It's my fault... I just... I understand if you're angry with me...I shouldn't have opened myself to you...If something would happen to you, I would never forgive myself...I just wanted a chance...

-Please...-I try to do my best to be strong, even when I'm on this situation-I've always admired you, since the moment I met you: the way you are, how you treat everybody with kindness, the way you smile to me even when nobody would. I can forgive you for not being sincere to me, because you forgive me for being so selfish most of the time.

-You don't seem selfish to me... really...

She presses herself against me. We're so close to each other.

-I need you...-Ai whispers-I don't want to sleep alone tonight. I don't want to think about the past...

We're both alone, sitting in her bed, but the only thing I can think about is just trying to make her feel better, to feel protected and cared about. Maybe that's what adulthood is supposed to be about.

She looks really tired, and probably she is, after all the fight. But I think she gets even more tired after thinking about her past. Her memories must haunt her a lot. I don't even want to imagine the fear she must have felt back there, knowing that she wouldn't be free anymore.

Lots of questions pop up in my head, and I try to think the answers while we lie down in bed. I can't believe she looks so vulnerable now, even when just a few minutes ago, she was kicking that monster's ass. We hold each other in silence, feeling our heartbeats clash with each other, trying to match up their rhythms. I feel her naked skin, so soft, rubbing all over me, and yet, I feel connected to her in a very different way.

-I really... want to thank you-Ai whispers half asleep-Thanks for giving me the best first date ever...

We keep on holding each other, even closer, while we both start walking down the path of dreams.