A/N: Hey so I just had this plot bunny about what the series would be like if Seki was a demon. And then this happened, so yeah. I must warn you this story ended up like a million times darker than the series. There's gore, graphic descriptions of torture and sexual content (although that's more sensual than explicit). This story earns it's M warning.

That being said, I've seen worse on this site, so maybe I'm overreacting. I will post specific warnings if I feel the chapter content calls for it.

Lastly this is completely written and will have 6 chapters. My beta is currently reading the other five. I plan on updating this every week on Wed and am cross-posting on AO3 under the same username.

Disclaimer: I don't own the manga or anime series. Which is probably good. Look what I'm doing to poor Rumi.

Hashino Tomoka - Rumi's best friend and classmate

Nakama Yu- friend and classmate

"You can always find a distraction if you're looking for one." -Tom Kite

Yokoi Rumi glared up at her ceiling blearily.

It seemed she had once again jerked suddenly into wakefulness inexplicably out of breath and vaguely nervous. It used to be that the birdsong outside her window would gently filter into her consciousness and pull her slowly out of the realm of dreams like a boat being set adrift. However, after starting high school six months ago, every morning started with her panting from some dream she couldn't remember and slight unease rolling in her gut.

It was probably just nerves. High school was a big change. Even months later it was a lot to take in. A new building and teachers and classmates. Higher expectations, less room for failure. It made sense to feel troubled.

Except that didn't really make her feel any better as she numbly got ready for school and carefully packed her homework into her bag. It did nothing to dissipate the cloud of dread that had started hanging over her in the mornings.

Breakfast was quiet as usual. Her father read the newspaper and only acknowledged her with the curtest 'Good morning.' Her mother just waved at her as she finished making her and her father's bentos already having eaten her breakfast. Her brother wasn't there to tease her since he thankfully had to go to work before her father even woke up.

Sometimes she would spend the night at her friend Tomoka's house and in the morning her family would always be loud and crazy. At her house, even the most hectic of mornings were subdued.

The same could be said for the evenings.

It wasn't that she never talked to her parents. It was just they never seemed to understand her. Her mom was afraid she was too flighty. Her father wanted her to focus more. They didn't understand why she was constantly reading fantasy books and manga. Why she would just sit and daydream for hours.

Her brother had been involved in sports and the student council. They wanted her to be like that. Impressive and productive.

And she just wasn't.

"Rumi-chan, did you sleep alright?"

Rumi started at her mother's sudden question. She had finished making their lunches and joined her father and her at the table while she'd been zoning out.

Again.

She shrugged. Not really sure how to answer. She didn't feel tired exactly and she was probably too old for nightmares to be bothering her. If she was even having any. "I guess."

But her mother just bit her lip, worried.

"I only ask because these last few mornings I heard you in your room and you sounded distressed. Is it something about your new school?"

Rumi nearly choked on the hard boiled egg she'd bit into when her throat went dry. After swallowing with difficulty she murmured a quiet, "Not really."

The only thing that was really bothering her about school was Seki Toshinari and he wasn't scary: just really, really distracting. She had half a mind to report him to their homeroom teacher.

He certainly wasn't giving her nightmares.

The thought was ridiculous.

Her mother sighed clearly not satisfied with her answers. "Well let me know if there's anything I can do. You should probably get going if you want to make it to school in a timely fashion."

Rumi nodded absently as she left the table with her bag. "Hai. I'm going."

The walk to school was quiet and she didn't see anyone she knew until she got to her shoe locker.

"Rumi-chan! Good morning!"

And there was Hashino Tomoka already changed into her indoor shoes. "Good morning, Tomoka-chan."

Tomoka was her best friend. They'd known each other since kindergarten. Rumi could always count on her friend to be cheery and enthusiastic instead of continually reserved like her parents. Although her parents liked to point out how she should be more like her friend who was in the literature club and was part of the school's orchestra.

And in no time at all it was time for school to begin again.

It wasn't long before Seki was starting on his daily divergence.

It looked like he was making dominos...with erasers.

Geez, he was ridiculous, but she couldn't help but watch him and get distracted.

And get caught being distracted by her social studies teacher.

(Who was mean and would probably write her parents a note.)

And the jerk never got caught himself. It was like he was unnaturally lucky or had magic powers.

It was completely unfair.

At lunch Tomoka was gratifyingly sympathetic, but her seating assignment didn't allow her to see any of Seki's antics. Their new friend Nakama Yuu was much better positioned, but she said she never noticed Seki doing anything strange.

"But he totally was!"

Nakama shrugged. "I would just ignore him. It's best not to get involved with Seki-san."

Nakama was always saying strange things like that. Rumi knew that Nakama and Seki had gone to the same elementary and middle school, but she was always so distant when talking about him. It was like she thought there was something wrong with him.

(Something worse than him having no attention span whatsoever.)

Although to be fair, Seki seemed to hold himself apart. Sure he ate lunch with a certain group of boys and did silly things with them during passing periods, but he never actually spoke to anyone. She hadn't even seen him answer a question in class. He hadn't joined in any sports or clubs.

He acted like everyone else was beneath his notice.

"But he's like impossible to ignore."

Really an imagination like his is probably an actual crime.

Tomoka giggled at this before teasing her about her new crush. Even though she knew that wasn't how Rumi felt. Nakama just looked away uncomfortably. Normally she was the most cheerful of their group, but anytime Seki came up she became moody.

Had Seki done something to her?

"Why do you dislike Seki-kun, Nakama-san?"

Nakama visibly flinched. "I never said I disliked him. I never said that. I just- You should just keep your distance! It's for your own good." The brunette jumped to her feet clearly desperate to bolt. "I've gotta go- And bye." She all but ran out of the classroom not even bothering to really excuse herself.

"That was kind of strange." At least, that was what Rumi was pretty sure Tomoka was saying around the rice ball she was munching on.

"Yeah." She darted a quick glance at Seki who was done eating and seemed to be balancing his chop sticks on his nose causing the boys he was sitting with to laugh.

He was completely innocuous.

(Why did Nakama seem afraid of him?)

The rest of the day dragged on.

The only point of interest was when she managed to stop one of Seki's little games when he was terrifying a whole army. What kind of person plays Shogi like that?!

(Who did he think he was?)

When she got home the shadows in the hallway slunk away from her quietly, "I'm home."

Her mom was out and her father was still at work. Her brother was probably with his friends.

No one was around to judge her if she just decided to take a little nap on her bed.

No sooner had she closed her eyes did she find herself in a field with tall grass. Distantly she could hear an ominous thudding. The world grew dark as a large cloud formation idled above her head. The thudding grew louder and she could hear the murmuring of many voices like distant thunder. Suddenly to either side of her lines of men clearly dressed for battle appeared.

Even from afar she could tell their faces were grim.

They were going to fight and blood would stain the grass she was standing on.

And then she saw him: Seki. He was to the back of the one approaching from her right and dressed like the men around him. Beside him was a man whose armor shone brighter than that of the surrounding men. He carried himself in a way that let her know he was in charge. The men around all seemed to be looking at him and taking heart from the air of confidence he had around him.

All of them except for Seki. He had that malevolent look from earlier.

She gasped in horror when he grabbed the kings head and twisted it off. Even at the distance she was, she could hear his neck going pop, pop, pop. The bones that cracked in uneven bursts. The wet sound of the flesh and muscle tearing as he kept rotating it like he was opening a bottle of soda. The blood fountaining onto his face, and into his wicked grin, before gently bubbling down the king's chest that would never again rise and fall with life.

She couldn't look away.

(Why couldn't she look away?)

After a few more economic rotations Seki had the head in his hands and was studying it intently as he turned it in his hands the kings eyes flashing like a strobe over and over, wide and terrified: just like his men who were all frozen in horror as Seki continued his casual examination.

Eventually he nodded before he ripped out the eyes and popped them into his mouth like some sort of twisted after school snack. He then grabbed the mandible and with a sharp yank broke it off and tossed it carelessly to the side. Digging his skin into where the ragged edge of flesh had formed he started peeling off the skin and muscle before punching a hole into the base and scooping out the brains with a cupped hand.

And then he sat the newly made skull on his head already covered in blood by his brutal decapitation of the king.

It wasn't right!

(He had no right!)

Before she knew it, her feet were taking her to ranks of men still standing absolutely shocked at Seki's depravity. They hardly seemed to register her as she pushed her way through them. She couldn't let him get away with this! She couldn't!

(Why hadn't she been able to look away?)

When she finally broke through the ranks and into his line of sight, his face became annoyed just like when she'd foiled his game earlier, but then his irritation melted off as he smirked. He started walking over to her his steps slow and measured.

The grass before him had already been trodden by the men at the front, but each step he made towards her was a soft crack that seemed to stab her heart as it tried to beat out of her chest. She wanted to turn around and run. (What could she do to a monster like him?) But her feet were lead and she could hardly breathe. He was almost close enough to touch and her blood was heating as it flooded with adrenaline.

She needed to run, but her feet wouldn't move, he had one of her hands and he was using it to pull her against him. Desperately she tried to get away by pushing at his chest, but it was like pushing on a wall. He was quick to detain her free hand and than then held the two together behind her back with his right hand.

"Seki-kun, please don't-" but just like in class he paid her no mind and ordered her silence as he pressed his index finger to her lips. Which ensured her continued silence because it was still covered in blood and brains and she was not risking getting that in her mouth. The smell, so close to her nose, was already making her stomach turn.

It was then the men came out of their stupors and closed ranks around them clearly with the intent of killing Seki. She didn't think they would much care if they ended up killing her to get to him.

But Seki just grinned his countenance of pure joy utterly disturbing. Her eyes widened when she remembered what happened next. Desperately she wanted to warn the men closing in on them, but she couldn't open her mouth. Not with the blood.

(And she couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe.)

Suddenly the earth claimed two of the advancing shoulders and in the ensuing still she listened as their screams went on and on as they fell farther and farther away, deeper into the darkness of the earth. She was too frightened to even shake, but Seki's laughter caused her to move in an accurate facsimile of terror.

Tears bit into her eyes.

This was horrible! It needed to stopped.

(She didn't want to be there.)

Seki cocked his head. Like he'd heard her thoughts. Slowly he brought he mouth to her ear, his breath hot on her neck, she could feel the gore on him soaking into her hair.

She could feel his lips moving against her ear, everything seemed to slow, but she couldn't quite catch the words. She closed her eyes so she might better hear him, but no matter how hard she focused they remained just out of reach. Suddenly she was desperate to hear even one of the words tickling at the edge of her awareness, the more she concentrated the more indistinct they became.

She started taking slow even breathes so her blood wouldn't rush so loud, but all that did was fill her lungs with Seki's scent of blood and sweat and burnt wood. The words remained elusive and she wanted to scream. Why couldn't she hear him? She pressed closer to him, the kings blood soaking into her uniform, and the voices grew louder, but all they did was vibrate under her skin, a low rumble that was causing her spine to itch.

What was he saying? Why did she care?

(Why was he so distracting?)

"Seki-kun," she whimpered her lips tangy and bitter from the blood.

(Why couldn't he speak more clearly?)

His answering chuckle rolled through her like a dark wave, warm and lazy as it settled low in her gut. The warmth became a strange ache that throbbed in time with the words she couldn't hear.

That she needed to hear.

The need was filling her, making her heart burn while her ears tried and tried to even hear just one little-

"Rumi-chan! Dinner is ready!"

She looked around her room shakily. It was shadowed because the sun had started to set, but it was still clear she was alone. Haltingly she sat up and glanced at the mirror on her vanity. Even in the dark she could tell her uniform wasn't covered in blood and that her lips and hair weren't either.

Everything was fine.

(Wasn't it?)

"Rumi-chan! Dinner!"

Somehow she forced herself down the stairs to where the rest of her family was already sitting at the dinner table. From the annoyed looks she was getting it seemed likely her mother had been calling her for quite some time.

She mumbled 'Itadakimasu' with her brother and father before they started eating. Her mom was frowning at her. "Why are you still in your uniform?"

She looked away from her mom and ended up staring at her rice bowl intently. "After school I was tired; I fell asleep."

Her mom stared at her for a long moment before sighing. "It's not good to sleep so long in the afternoons. You'll never get to sleep tonight."

Rumi was completely okay with that. She didn't want to ever sleep again. "I know. I mean I didn't mean to."

Her father turned his attention towards her. "Instead of sleeping you should be involved in after school activities. Like Daiki-kun."

At this her older brother sent her a superior smirk.

"I don't really like sports and none of the clubs are interesting." She didn't mind being athletic. She would jog on the weekends, but she didn't really like volley ball or soccer or baseball.

Kendo appealed to her in some ways, but something wasn't quite right with that either. What was the point in wooden swords against pretend enemies. Imagination would do the trick just as well with less fuss. How sweet could those victories be?

The blood of real enemies tastes much sweeter.

She barely heard her family's varying degrees of shock, disapproval and worry (her mother) as she ran up the stairs to her room and collapsed her back pressed against her door.

Those words. That voice.

Was that what he'd whispered into her ear?

(Why was she so desperate to know?)
***

The next morning, breakfast was awkward.

The night before Rumi hadn't responded to her mom as she tried to talk to her through her locked bedroom door. Not when she asked if she was angry? Or hungry since she hadn't actually eaten? If it was something at school?

Rumi didn't know what to say and so she didn't. She'd eventually fallen asleep curled up into a tight ball on her bed hoping she wouldn't dream.

But she did dream and her dream was completely fine.

Seki was there again, but he was back to ignoring her. They had been on some giant white plain as erasers the size of skyscrapers loomed above them. She watched in awe as they fell like dominos, but in the dream there really were fireworks at the end.

This dream was actually fun and somehow Seki being in it didn't even ruin it.

In fact, when she'd seen him standing there she hadn't felt any alarm.

Not even imagining him soaked in blood could bring back the fear of the previous dream.

It was disconcerting because it made her to realize that while she'd been terrified of his actions and her own reactions, she had not actually been scared of him.

Actually for much of the dream she just frustrated herself with wondering what Seki's voice actually sounded like and if it had been the voice she'd heard the previous night.

(Something was seriously wrong with her.)

As she sat down, her father set down his paper and just looked at her. Her mom handed her a bowl of rice porridge and sat down at the table to join him in the looking. She avoided looking at either of them and managed to finish her breakfast in three minutes.

She didn't bother saying bye on her way to school.

She could already feel how awkward dinner would be.

"Yokoi-san!"

Rumi turned to her right to find Nakama had joined her just as they started climbing the hill the school sat on. She hadn't known the girl lived near her. "Uh, good morning, Nakama-san."

For some reason all she could think about was how much the taller girl would not have liked the dream she'd had the previous afternoon.

No that she'd enjoyed it.

Just.

(She hadn't enjoyed it.)

"I'm sorry."

Rumi blinked in confusion at the girl beside her. "Why would you be sorry, Nakama-san?"

The girl looked down at her feet seemingly ashamed. "For yesterday. Leaving so abruptly."

Rumi waved away the girl's apology. "It's fine. These things happen." She would know.

Nakama smiled at her relief glinting in her eyes. "Thank you. I'm still adjusting to this new school. I was taken aback. In middle school, heck in elementary school, everyone knew to keep their distance from Seki-san."

Without permission her tongue threw a small, soft 'why?' through her slightly parted lips.

Nakama visibly swallowed. "Uh, well, it not like he's done anything. He's still allowed in school after all."

Rumi raised a sardonic eyebrow. "So he hasn't worn anyone's skull as a hat?"

The words were in poor taste and dark humor was not her usual method, but that didn't quite explain Nakama's choked scream and terror filled eyes. They reminded her of the king's as Seki turned his head round and round.

"Yo- Yokoi-san, you-"

Suddenly it was like she was possessed because the other girl's fear did not make her immediately apologetic and her inclination to console her listed lazily in the back of her throat. Her tongue became sharp between her teeth and she continued even though she knew there was no reason to: "He has the patience for it after all. To peel the skin off and scoop out the brains."

Somehow, in hindsight, the king's execution was almost fascinating rather than sickening.

Nakama grabbed her arms and pulled them face to face her expression suddenly very determined (though she still reeked of fear), "Yokoi-san, you need to stop sitting near Seki-san. Tell Sensei he is distracting you and get the hell away from him."

Rumi bit her lip. "But that'll get Seki-kun in trouble." Suddenly the strange and foreign coldness was gone. She felt like she normally did and a little guilty for saying such odd things. Anyway what was so bad about sitting next to Seki? As much as she didn't like being distracted.

(She kind of really liked being distracted.)

Nakama actually shook her in frustration. "That doesn't matter! Just-"

"He pouts," Rumi felt compelled to say, "He pouts horribly if he can't goof off during class- if he knows it's your fault, he glares at you for hours and the feeling of his eyes sink down low into your stomach where it grows and grows. And then I end up feeling guilty when he's the one-"

But Nakama's hands just started squeezing her arms tighter and tighter. They were going to leave bruises. "Yokoi-san, you really must get away from him." Nakama's voice cracked like she was on the verge of tears.

Abruptly done with whatever this was Rumi violently shrugged off Nakama (since that was the only way to get Nakama's hands off) before finally allowing a gentle smile to curve her lips. "Look; I'm glad that you don't want Seki-kun distracting me, but if I move, he'll just be bothering someone else. It'll be like I set them up. And then they won't be able to concentrate. That doesn't sound fair, does it?"

(That didn't sound fair at all.)

Besides one of these days she would eventually get reassigned away from him.

(Right?)

"Yokoi-san most everyone ignores him just fine. To be frank, the problem is that you don't," but despite the other girl's gravity she had clearly come down from the blind panic of before. "It really isn't a good idea to be so aware of him."

Rumi frowned as they once again started walking to school. Was she too aware of Seki? Aside from her grades, why would that be bad?

(Most of the time the entertainment he provided wasn't even gruesome.)

It was kind of a surreal to come to the conclusion that she actually liked watching Seki.

(Even when he was being evil.)

They were almost to the gates when Nakama sighed. "I just want you to be careful, Yokoi-san."

Rumi hummed in a vaguely agreeing manner. What was there to be careful of? Nakama had yet to offer any concrete reasons to avoid Seki. He was pretty harmless. He had a mean glare and dark grin, but so did lots of people. Half the time what he did was actually like a chore and other times he would use cute bears and bunnies.

"-dreams that is a bad sign, a very bad sign."

Rumi froze and looked at Nakama in confusion as they arrived at their shoe lockers. Apparently she had still been talking. "Huh?"

Nakama ran her hands through her hair frustrated. "If he starts appearing in your dreams, you really need to move to a different spot. Please, promise me, if that starts happening you'll move."

"Hai," she chirped easily enough.

After all, how could she start having dreams if she'd been having them?

(What was so dangerous about being distracted?)

She ignored how guilty she felt at Nakama's relieved smile.

It was probably no big deal.