[001] The Cursed Gear

It was dark and Guren couldn't see anything other than the outline of his own body. Even that was hard to see.

A voice spoke to him in his head. It was a clear, steady, warm, angelic voice.

"You already know that you can't fulfill your life ambitions. So what do you intend to do?" The voice asked.

A glowing blue panel appeared in front of him. It said:

Please choose one from the following options.

1. Give up.

2. Keep trying even if you know it's meaningless.

3. Forcefully fulfil it even if you break the rules - such as murder, betrayal, theft, selling your soul to the devil, etcetera.

Ichinose Guren reached out his hand and pressed option 3.

The panel disappeared.

"In front of your eyes, a darkness you cannot overcome appears. With your human's body, you cannot advance. In this situation, what do you do?" The voice asked again.

Another blue panel appeared. It read:

Please choose from the following choices.

1. Give up on being human.

2. Give up on being human.

3. Give up on being human.

If it was to save his friends then he would reach out forbidden power. Even if he lost his mind and became a demon, he would grab onto the power. So that he would not lose anything important to him, he was willing to give up his humanity. Guren pressed option 1.

In the next moment, Guren thought he heard a strange sound.

Kacha, the sound of a gear turning.

A gear turning towards destruction.

An end.

Apocalypse.

The sound of an angel's trumpet, as though unable to forgive the desires of man.

***Manifestation***

Guren opened his eyes to a completely white world.

"Where am I?" He looked around and whispered.

"...in your heart~!"

A voice behind him answered. It had a high pitch, like a kid's, and it was all excited and cheerful.

Guren turned around and saw a boy around twelve years old. He had pale skin, scarlet eyes, and red hair. There were a pair of horns sprouting from his head and words floating above his head.

Lv.46 Noya

"You're the demon." Guren said.

"Yup." The demon said.

"Are you here to possess me?"

"That's an ugly way to put it. I'm here because you're the one who wanted me here."

The demon laughed merrily and Guren couldn't argue with that. He was the one who needed power. That was why he had sought out the demon even though he knew that he shouldn't have touched such power.

"I'm very glad that Guren wants me. If you want power then I'm your best choice. Together with me, Guren would definitely become strong." The demon smiled.

It stepped forward, and darkness diffused across where the demon walked.

"..."

It felt as if everything he held hear to him had evaporated. It felt as if irreplaceable things such as warmth and humanity were gone. He was struggling with the demon for control. For every step the demon took forward, Guren felt his humanity decrease. If he lost, then he would become a demon whose only desire was to kill and cause destruction.

"Don't come any closer, demon." Guren ordered.

The demon grinned mischievously, "Ahhahaha. Nope. I'm coming closer now."

The demon took another step and his rationality decreased again.

"I will not lose to you."

"I'm not your enemy. You're the one who called for me. It's Guren who wanted power and sought me out."

The demon took another step and his rationality declared yet again.

Guren glowered at the demon.

"Don't say my name so casually, demon."

"Nah. We're going to be together for the rest of eternity. Oh, can you guess my name?"

The demon came nearer and his rationality dwindled.

Guren didn't even notice that the pristine white world had been painted pitch black.

Pitch black darkness enveloped the entire area.

His heartbeat and breaths increased.

He could feel excitement and fear bouncing around in his body.

This was desire.

"Noya." Guren said. It was the word floating above the demon's head.

"You're right," the demon laughed, "how did you guess?"

The next thing he knew, Noya was already standing in front of him. Another inch forward and the demon would bump into his body. His head was near Guren's waist and the demon was looking up with palpable excitement.

There was only one more inch remaining, but Noya stopped and said.

"Gure, I want you to close the last inch by yourself. I want you to desire me, hug me, and accept me with your heart and body. With that, you will…"

The demon laughed mockingly.

"…..Be able to protect everything."

His words were alluring.

"Mahiru, your father, your subordinates, friends and even your dignity. You've managed to protect none of them. With my power you could protect all of them."

Guren looked at Noya.

Noya was smiling happily.

Guren didn't have the power to protect anyone. He didn't have time left for second thoughts and hesitation.

Noya was smiling, fully aware of this.

"Ah, are you saying that you want to continue denying it? I like those type of people too. The people who, in order to protect themselves, live in in an ugly world of denial. However, I head that Guren was different. "

"From who?"

"Mahiru. She said that you are gentle, beautiful, humane and cute. That's why you will definitely come over to this side. Her words are true. I've liked you the moment I saw you. That's why I let you see this."

Noya pointed at the words floating on top of his head and eyed the space above Guren's.

Guren tilted his head back.

Lv.32 Guren Ichinose

"What is this?" Guren asked.

"I'll tell you if you close the last inch." Noya giggled. "You are imaginative, gentle and frail. No wonder you make people like you without hesitation. If you partner up with me, you can become strong immediately!"

"….."

"Well, we don't need to rush. You are going to become a demon anyway. Even if you don't close the distance now, you are still going to do it. The power of the demon is already corroding your body."

"…."

Guren looked at the demon. This was all progressing according to Mahiru's plans and the world of darkness she envisioned. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't resist fate. He had no time left.

The demon was waiting for him to close the last inch. If he made the contact with the demon, he would no longer be human, but if he left Mito, Goshi, Sayuri, and Shigure to die, he wouldn't feel human either.

Either way, he would have to give up his humanity.

"I chose to move forward. No matter what."

Noya looked up with a happy expression and opened his palms.

"Then come Guren and give up your humanity."

Guren touched Noya and held him by the throat.

Noya laughed with joy.

"Ahe, Guren. That was the wrong answer. You're human, so giving up your humanity is unacceptable. You really are cute~"

Guren's eyes widened, but it was already too late. The darkness had finished engulfing everything.

"By the way, Guren, those words that you saw above our heads is my gift to you. It's the ability I give to you. It's called The Gamer."

Guren felt an abnormal surge of power in his body.

***Manifestation***

When Guren opened his eyes, he was no longer in the world of black and white.

Lv. 32 Guren Ichinose

The words above his head. What did Noya mean about ability? Guren didn't have time to ponder on.

There was a sword in his right hand, a blade with Noya residing in it, and a motorcycle fitted with engines beside him. They were all prepared by Mahiru.

A loud sound could be heard.

Dong. Dong. Dong. Dong.

The sounds of war could be heard across the street. The sound of the Kyakuya Sect and the Order of Imperial Demon killing each other.

He was currently situated at Ikejiri, Setagaya, Tokyo. In the city centre. To start a war in a place like this would be very conspicuous, but it had already started and he couldn't have cared less.

Was it because of the demon in his body? If he wasn't mistaken, then the amount of demon poisoning in his body should have reached a lethal level.

He wanted to kill.

He wanted to destroy.

He wanted to make them bleed.

"….Uncomfortable. Looks like I need a sheath to suppress these desires."

Guren muttered as he hopped onto the motorcycle.