I can feel that this story may take YEARS to write ;A; Sorry if the plot is slow, I am trying my best to not lose Yoshiyuki's touch in the manga. And sorry if this chapter sounds too cheesy :(

Disclaimer: This story is purely fanfictional. I decided to add a spice of romance to the storyline and created a new character, Muhyo's childhood friend, Hanabi Yuri. Please review and comments. If you do not like it, go easy on the comments and just stop reading this altogether. I have been keeping this in my pc for over three years and finally had the guts to publish it. Enjoy!~ ^.^V


"NOOOOOOO! I WANT TO BE FREE!"

The five of us stared at what was once Executor Fujiwara's Assistant. He died because Sophie peeled off his face and now had turned into an Akuryou, a spirit, a ghost. Wings protruded from his back as he started to attack us.

Great. First was the Rain Dog, then the Mad Planter. Now this?

"What have I done?" Biko was in tears, feeling guilty since it was her seals that caused the trouble here. Rio hugged her to comfort, turning to Roji and me, "Hurry and do the Mishibari Technique!"

"NOO!" He was screaming, frantic, "IT WAS ONLLY SEVEN DAYS UNTIL HE RETURNED! I HAD MANY THINGS I WANTED TO DO! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO HAVE A FAMILY! I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

Biko was sobbing in Rio's arms, muttering, "My seals. It's all because of my seals," all over and over again.

"I don't have sufficient tempering," I said, kneeling on one knee, "Roji, it's up to you."

"What…?"

Shit, he's too slow. The Akuryou has already started to attack.

"…I punish you to the Devil's Pitchfork!" I stared at Muhyo. That was already the second Commandment for the day, how will he be able to stop Sophie?

"Not to say that you did anything wrong," Muhyo said to the Akuryou, "But that's just how we do it here in the MLA. You can't say that you didn't know that would happen."

"Muhyo…" I stared at him. What was he thinking?

"Muhyo, why?" Roji put his hand on the young Executor's arm, but it was pushed away.

"If you want to become an assistant to an Executor, you should at least be able to handle a Rain Dog in combat," he said coldly, "Getting beaten up was just because of his weakness. There's no need to pity him."

"Yeah, I know. But," Roji looked at him, "That's already two uses for today. Already at your limit?"

"Well, what of it?" he snapped his book shut, staring at Roji's pen, "We'll just have to keep waiting for you to use that junior pen of yours."

I forced myself up, but I was still unstable, "Muhyo…" I managed to say before I slumped back on the floor. I know why Muhyo is doing this to Roji. But doesn't he consider his tempering?

He glanced at me shortly. He seemed to be trying to look as if he was glaring, but instead the concern look portrayed clearly across his face. Ignoring me, he turned around, continued talking to Roji, "You and Rio want to keep butting in, then I'll just leave the rest to you. And you," he referred to Biko, "When are you going to stop whining, huh? You freaking idiots."

I looked at him as he made his way towards me, his disgusted expression changed to concern when he held my gaze. Pointing at me right at my nose, he said, "And you, too, stop holding on to the past," he paused before asking, tucking a stray hair behind my ear, sighing, "Are you alright?"

Looking away, I pushed away the feeling in my chest, a happy feeling, before I replied, "It's none of your business," I managed to say that in a cold voice.

With much effort, I raised my hand and pointed at him in the chest, "You, too. When are you going to stop being so mean?"

He smiled, it was a sincere smile, as he took my hand and put his hand in mine, kissing the top of my hand, just like how people used to kiss a queen's hand. It felt warm where his lips touch, I felt as if there was a spark travelling from my hand to my toes.

"Well, then Yuu-Chan," he whispered as he spoke, "I'll try my best to change."

"Muhyooooooooooo," I whined, "you're practically strangling me to death, right now."

Little Muhyo was persistent as he hung on to my neck just as I was about to leave the room, "But it's a Sunday, we should be sleeping in, not going to study."

I smiled to Enchyu and Yoichi as they stared at Muhyo's suddenly weird behavior. He wasn't always like this around other people. He only became so since I arrived, as Enchyu and Yoichi said.

I sighed, kissing the top of his head as he was dragged by me out of the door, "I have to go Muhyo. I promised Biko."

He shook his head, "NOOOOOOOO!" He was whining.

I smiled and stopped trying to push him off. Instead, I hugged him back, kissing his forehead. Then, I whispered in his ear, "Go to sleep, Muhyo. You're sleepy. You should go to sleep."

"No. No, I'm no—uhh" he fell limp in my arms as he dozed off. I smiled at my two flabbergasted roommates, "Wha—"

"Shh," I put my index to my lips, "Can you guys help carry him to the bed? Don't wake him up."

I left the room as they volunteered to carry him, still in awe at what happened.

"How did she do that?" I heard Yoichi whisper to Enchyu, trying to be as quiet as possible.

Enchyu stifled a giggle, "I think it's just something called 'Love'."

"Oh, you sealed her off?" Furuya exclaimed, relieved.

I gripped on Muhyo's shoulder as he struggled to help me up. Roji and Rio have volunteered in helping me up, but Muhyo had insisted that he do it, although I did rather have someone taller than me to help me up. But I do appreciate his effort.

Sophie's cell was empty when we got there, which was a bad sign as she could actually be impersonating any one of us—the three guards upstairs, or Judge Imai's corpse that was never found or even one of us who went down there.

"It's not much, but eat up!" Furuya came in with a tray of instant noodles and hot water.

The boat won't be here until tomorrow afternoon; we have enough time to figure out who Sophie is. In the mean time, Muhyo had better have a good rest to defeat Sophie.

"Are you trying to say that my Master is Sophie? Are you insane, Muhyo?" Biko said. I was too engrossed in my own thoughts that I wasn't paying much attention to what they were arguing about.

"At any rate, there's only one way to protect ourselves and find out who she's impersonating," Muhyo, said. He was sitting on the chair at the table, Roji standing behind him, "We just have to wait until she appears."

"Well, if you're trying to say that I might be Sophie, you could as well say that to Yuu-Chan. She was here with me, too," Rio crossed her arms, getting a sharp look from Muhyo, "Anyways, Sophie's impersonation is perfect, or so I heard."

I nodded, "She is able to hide her aura so that you can't notice her impersonation."

"The MLA hasn't found a way to deal with this," Muhyo said, getting off his chair, he walked towards the bed I was sitting on, "You can't say I'm not Sophie either. But well, anyway, be careful of everyone… uhh."

"M—Muhyo?" Roji looked at Muhyo, a concern look on his face when the black haired boy suddenly collapsed on the bed, into my arms. I smiled, "It's okay, I got him."

"Of course he's tired," Rio, stated as-a-matter-of-factly, "He used up two of the strongest Magic Commandments in one day."

Roji helped me adjust Muhyo under the blankets, "When he's asleep, he looks almost like a child."

I smiled, "Yeah."

"We must protect Muhyo while he sleeps," Rio said, her face was serious. Roji and I nodded. I sat next to the Executor on the bed, stroking his hair.

"A—apples…" he was mumbling in his sleep. I smiled, getting a questioning look from Roji as he stifled a laugh, "Apples? I never knew Muhyo talks in his sleep."

"Who's' there!?" Rio suddenly exclaimed, turning towards the door. Both of us stared wide-eyed as she opened it. But there was no one in the hallway, "Did I just imagine it?"

"Enchyu, I love you," I heard Muhyo's voice in the library on the night of Christmas. Shocked, I hid behind one of the bookshelves, staring at two of my roommates. I had just given Enchyu my present from me, and now, Muhyo is confessing to him too?

Enchyu looked at him, wide-eyed, "Huh?"

"I said, I love you," Muhyo repeated, his face was hard, showing no emotions. But he sounded somehow hesitant.

Enchyu's expression was from shocked to realization as he said, "I love you too."

But Enchyu, I love you.

"I'm sorry for dragging you all the way," Roji blushed. I smiled, "Hey, no problem. I had to use it too."

It had almost been an hour. I had followed Roji to the toilet just in case. There were still no signs of Sophie, so I guess it should be all right.

"Umm… Yuu-Chan, I need to ask you something."

I smiled, "What is it Roji?" He was playing with his fingers as he hesitated, "I don't get Muhyo? I also don't understand why I can't use the seals…" his voice trailed off as he stared as his feet.

I gave him a pat on his back, "Roji, to use seals, the least you need to have is confidence. You lack that confidence, Roji. That's all," I sighed, closing my eyes; "I didn't know why he had to get so upset with you and Rio though. I mean; you were just trying to help. But I do know one thing; Muhyo is using those Magic Law Commandments for your sake." I poked his chest as I said that.

"For my sake?"

I nodded, staring at my feet, "When ever he uses the Magic Law Commandments, he hurts himself by doing so, his tempering will drain. But he believes that with enough pressure, you will be able to excel. He's watching over you, and that's why you shouldn't rely on him that much. Rather, use your seals to help him out!" I nodded, assured with my own statement. I've known that Muhyo all my life. The Muhyo that I…

He was teary eyed when I stopped talking. He bowed at me and said, "Thank you Yuu-Chan. You know so much about him. I never realized…" cutting off my train of thought.

I patted his shoulder, "I was his roommate in the MLS, you know."

"Really?" his eyes widened, "But, you're a girl, I thought they separate boys and girls."

I giggled, "I thought so, too. But we didn't bother to report to the teacher. So Muhyo and I ended up sharing the same bed."

"B—bed?"

I laughed at his shocked face, "Don't sound so shocked, Roji."

It was a long way back to the room, and since it has been a while since I talked to anyone about my past, I somehow poured everything out to this blonde kid. I told him everything; about us sharing a room, about Enchyu, how he betrayed us and also about what happened the night I disappeared. The night Muhyo screamed at me. And for the first time since my heart turned cold, I cried.

"Oh," Roji said as he passed me a tissue, "So that's why they call you the Cold Judge."

I nodded. All this while I've been shutting myself away, shutting my feelings away. Just like Muhyo. He, too often shuts his true feelings away.

"Yuu-Chan," he paused, "was that why you were crying when he shouted at us?"

I just smiled, "I guess you could say I was traumatized since the day he shouted at me."

Roji smiled, sitting next to me in the hallway, "I guess you and Muhyo come a long way, eh?"

He sighs as he sat leaned against the wall, "You know, Yuu-Chan. Since he saw you at the MLA last week, Muhyo has been acting kind of weird."

"Weird?" I looked at him. How weird can Muhyo be?

"He was restless. Sometimes, he couldn't sleep. It's a bit unnoticeable now, but for the whole week, he had black circles under his eyes."

I sighed. I know why he was like that. Because of me.

"I guess you should apologize to Muhyo later, about the seals and try harder," I smiled.

KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!

We looked at each other as a scream echoed through the hallway.

"It's coming from the bottom level," I gripped my fists as we started running towards the stairs. We better hurry, Sophie might just appear soon.

You know what, Muhyo?

I realized how peaceful you look like when you sleep next to me, I hope we'll be able to sleep together again.