Warnings: Bad narration, slight OOCness, AU, lack of spellcheck, etc...
Note: I'm not in love with this chapter, to be honest. I don't do the battle scenes very well, but I've tried my best here and soon I'll be back to my crazy revelations. This is just a piece of the plot that has to be worked through. I appreciate your continuing support!

The Mythical Detective Mayura

III: Envy

"This is insane. Your girlfriend can't summon my sister."

Suzuka was standing under the cherry tree with her arms crossed. "You've lost it, Loki. You too." She glared accusingly at Odin who seemed to cower under her gaze. "Trusting this whackjob girl to ressurect the dead...it's absolutely crazy."

"Yeah, well, I can't disagree." Loki wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. "But as Detective Daidouji said earlier, we don't have anything to lose by trying."

Yamino cleared his throat. "I assure you that Miss Mayura is a professional and can easily summon the ghost of Miss Kaoru. Just please be patient until she is ready."

"It's all right, I'm ready now." Mayura said, giving him a grateful smile and facing the others, assembled in a circle beside the tree.

Dark had fallen, and the moon glittered through the thick flowers of the sakura tree. Silver strands of light fell with pink petals around them.

Taking the ruby ring and placing it on the ground before Suzuka, Mayura began to chant something in a language unknown to the others. She finished her speech and looked around with a frown.

"Mou, nothing happened." She pouted. "I thought for sure it would've work--"

She was interrupted as the ring let out an intense light, blinding the group temporarily. When it faded, Odin was unconscious on the ground and a blue-haired girl stood before Suzuka.

"Kaoru...you're..." Suzuka stared at her sister, shocked. "How?"

Noticing the priest's position on the ground, Loki turned to Mayura. "What happened to my brother?"

The detective glanced up at him. "The spirit needed living energy to arrive on Earth. She just took a few minutes' worth from your brother."

"Suzuka...you...you killed me!" Kaoru shouted, and her form began to distort into a horrible, hideous beast with fangs protruding from a huge mouth. "You couldn't let me have him, could you?" She hissed.

"W-what? I don't know what you're talking about!" Suzuka said, backing away.

"You killed me..." The spirit repeated, edging closer to Suzuka.

Loki watched in horror. "What the hell is going on? What is that?"

Mayura did not answer.

"N-no, no, no! I'd never...I loved..." Suzuka stuttered, walking into the tree. She stopped at that point, paralyzed by fear and backed into a corner.

The beast that was once her sister was not sympathetic. "Tell him what really happened. Tell him that I was smarter, prettier, and kinder...and that you were so jealous...that you strived to get him, get the one boy I couldn't, and then you tormented me about him!"

Suzuka was shaking her head, sobbing as she denied everything.

"You pushed me!" Kaoru hissed, long claws nearing Suzuka. "You murdered me then blamed it on him...on the boy I adored...you sadistic fool. You pushed me off the roof!"

"Kaoru, I didn't mean to!" The purple-haired girl wailed. "I just made a mistake! I didn't mean to push you...I don't know what came over me! I wasn't thinking! I'm sorry, please don't hurt me, please don't kill me. Look what a monster you've become!"

Tears ran down her face, and from her expression and tone, Loki could tell that the woman before him was only concerned with her own safety. Her sister had never mattered. Suzuka cared only about herself and had placed the blame on his brother in an attempt to clear her own name. Kaoru was never suicidal, she was a victim of murder. "Detective, please save me from her! Save me from the beast! It isn't Kaoru!" She begged, gasping for air. "She's some horrible, hideous monster!"

The creature growled at her and swung a great claw at her face but Suzuka did not feel it hit.

Blocking the claws with a long silver staff, Mayura had no pity in her eyes.

"The only monster here is you."

With these words, Suzuka fell to her knees and stared up at the detective.

"You killed your sister because of jealousy. Then you stole the boy she loved as further revenge. Then to rid yourself of guilt, you blamed him." Mayura summarized. "You are a monster, Suzuka. You're full of evil and cruelty. This is not your sister's spirit--it is your guilt's."

Suzuka gasped in horror as the monster was sucked back into the ring. "No, it can't be because those are lies and I would never--"

Mayura turned her staff to Suzuka. "And I, Athena of Olympus, will remove your sin. Suzuka, thy sin's name is envy!"

A green, shapeless figure emerged from Suzuka's mouth and rose above the pink-haired detective. It groaned and Mayura's only reply was a swipe of her staff through the monster's stomach.

The blob vanished and Suzuka struggled for breath. "I-I'm sorry, Kaoru." She whispered, passing out and surrending her memories.

"Suzuka will need to be arrested!" Mayura said cheerfully, turning to Yamino. "She'll confess." She added. "I've removed the demon within her but she's still a killer."

The green-haired man nodded and shuffled into the shrinehouse to call the police.

Mayura let out a relieved sigh before remembering something--rather, someone.

"What are you?"

Oh, how short her relationship with the bishonen had been. Unless...

Turning to the blonde, the goddess smiled. "Can you keep a secret?"

Loki glanced at her. A pretty, ditzy detective with magical powers was willing to tell him her secret. Sure she was insane, but here it was--his chance for adventure. Was he willing to leave behind his mundane life for a life of excitement and wonder? Would he regret leaving behind normalcy? And what guarantee did he have that he could participate in her adventures? Would he just be left behind?

Then he had an idea. A way to keep an eye on this strange, unusual, marvelous detective. A way to ensure that he would get his adventure.

"Yes." He finally said, meeting her eyes. "I can...if you'll let me be your assistant detective."

"Kyaa! That'd be wonderful!" Mayura pounced on him with a hug. "A beautiful woman detective with her bishonen male assistant...it's perfect. Yamino will be excited!"

He felt the words "regular", "normal", and "average" slipping away. But she hadn't answered his question.

"Who...?"

"I am Mayura Daidouji. At least in your realm, I am. I am really Athena, the goddess of wisdom descended from Olympus. I've been banished. But you can call me Detective Mayura." She winked.

X X X X

:3

Next time: Yamino explains the situation to Loki and we meet Loki's classmates...including that mysterious new student, Narugami Tohru!