A/N: Hi everyone! We're so sorry for the delay... (Rose: I've been quite busy lately and didn't get much time to write. Besides, this chapter was quite complicated to write. O_o You'll understand once you'll read it)
But we're back with another long chapter ^^' So be sure to have lots of free time on your hands to read this one!
The usual warnings apply and we don't own anything apart from our original characters and the storyline of the fic. If we owned the game, Flynn would have been the one finding Yuri after his fall from Zaude and he would have declared him his undying love :D
Well then, have fun reading and see you at the end!
No Matter the Differences, We are Alike
Chapter 9 : Crisis
Yuri was lying awake in his bed, unable to get any sleep as thoughts kept pushing into his mind. He listened to Repede's even breathing while he recalled what happened earlier. He pictured in his mind the expression that was plastered on Flynn's face when he had fed him.
It had been so cute, seeing his stoic friend so flustered like that. He had hid it well, but Yuri had felt his heart fluster when he had seen that expression on his friend's face. Even when that look of embarrassment had disappeared, Yuri had still felt strange inside as he kept on feeding Flynn.
And now, Yuri could not sleep because he was bothered by what he felt. He did not understand why it affected him so much. He never used to feel flustered like that in Flynn's company before. What was happening to him? Yuri groaned in annoyance as he turned and tossed on his futon. It really was no use. He would not get sleep any time soon in his agitated state. He needed to do something that would get his mind away from his disturbing thoughts.
Only one thing came to mind that might work. It would be perfect to clear his mind and relax enough to finally sleep. The Demon left his futon and walked blindly in the darkness of the room. He stopped in front of a large desk and silently slid one of the drawers open. Yuri carefully grabbed his mother's shamisen before closing the drawer.
Being careful not to wake Repede, Yuri walked to the door leading to the garden. He silently opened it and slid into the garden. The cool night air immediately made shivers rise on his skin. Only a few rays of moonlight were passing through the clouds, but it was enough to illuminate the garden with a gentle light.
The Demon walked to the biggest rock in the garden, just under the maple tree where his mother used to sit. He sat on it and securely wedged the shamisen against his shoulder. As soon as he closed his eyes, Yuri already felt some of his agitation fade away. A soft smile graced his lips. He knew it would work.
As he stroked the first soft notes, his thoughts went to his blonde friend. Before he knew it, his fingers were playing a soothing melody, full of longing. Yuri kept on playing, knowing that by the end of the song, he would feel relaxed enough to finally go to sleep.
And as he kept on playing, Flynn's face never left his mind.
Yuri was usually not a morning person. Having to drag himself out of bed early in the morning was nothing less than a torture. However, when the Demon knew his friend was in the capital, it was somehow different. He did not mind having to get up early, because it meant he would have more time to spend with Flynn.
Today was the last day the Angel would spend at Jigoku's capital before they had to make another patrol in the border villages and Yuri decided he would make the most out of it. He already knew what he wanted to begin the day with.
So with that thought in mind, he decided to rise early and pay a visit to his friend, who was staying at the imperial palace. He secretly hoped that when he would arrive, Flynn would still be asleep. He had only seen Flynn asleep one time and without knowing the reason, he had loved seeing that serene expression on the Angel's face. He rarely saw him completely relaxed, and it was a sight he would not mind seeing more often.
It was so early that the streets were almost empty while Yuri walked towards the imperial palace. When he arrived at his destination, the guards at the entrance of the palace bowed before him to greet him. Yuri returned the greeting and crossed the outer wall. However, he did not walk towards the entrance like he should have. He had no reason to use the door to visit his friend this time.
The Demon circled the palace and slowly made his way towards the location of Flynn's window. Yuri quickly found it and stopped under the window leading to the Angel's room on the second floor. Without wasting any more time, he climbed the wall with agility until he was just under Flynn's window. Yuri opened it silently and gracefully slipped into the room.
His sight was met by a familiar blonde sitting at the table and currently busy writing something on a paper with a quill. Yuri smiled mischievously, knowing by the way the Angel did not turn around that he was not aware of his presence. It was a little weird, because Flynn usually had a really sharp hearing. The Demon was not going to complain. Yuri silently approached his friend.
Once he was just behind the Angel, Yuri leaned in to whisper in Flynn's ear; "Good morning, Flynn."
Before the Angel had the time to react, Yuri quickly stole his brush from his hand. Flynn was startled and turned around, looking at Yuri with wide eyes.
"Yuri! What are you doing here?" Flynn asked in a scolding tone once he got over his shock.
The smirk on the Demon's face widened. "Hey, where's my good morning?" Yuri asked in a faked hurt tone.
Flynn sighed in discouragement, glaring softly at his friend.
"Someone who sneaks through the window and then sneaks behind my back to steal my brush does not deserve a 'good morning'," he answered with a frown on his face.
Yuri chuckled, used to Flynn's scolding. It amused him more than anything else. He sat next to his friend, but kept the brush out of the Angel's reach.
"Do you have to always be so touchy, Flynn? What did I do to deserve that attitude?" the Demon said with a pouting expression.
Something unrecognizable flickered in the blonde's eyes and Flynn was quick to turn his face to the side. He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"The list would be too long to say, so I won't bother. It will only give me a headache," he answered in a somewhat snapping tone.
Normally, Yuri would have faked outrage at his friend's words and would have kept teasing Flynn, but he finally realized his friend was really in a bad mood. Yuri frowned, regaining his serious. He slowly put the quill on the table and looked at Flynn.
"Flynn, is something wrong?" he asked with a hint of worry.
The Angel looked at his friend and smiled apologetically.
"I'm just tired, don't worry. I'm sorry I took it out on you," he said with slight remorse in his voice.
Yuri shook his head. "Don't worry about that. So, what is putting you in such a foul mood? Is it the 'bastard councilor's case'?" Yuri asked in all seriousness.
His words had the desired effect; the Angel chuckled softly. Yuri would be happy if he could at least lift his friend's spirit a little. However, Flynn soon regained his serious and sighed softly.
"Yeah, you guessed right. Whenever I can, I try to keep an eye on Garista. I'm thinking that if he really is the one responsible for the lost letters, he will eventually make a mistake and I'll finally have something to incriminate him. But there's nothing. I'm sure he's the one responsible, but I can't do anything if I don't have any proof. Constantly keeping an eye on him on top of my daily responsibilities is a lot of work," Flynn said with tiredness.
Yuri put a comforting hand on Flynn's shoulder. When the Angel looked at him, the Demon smiled encouragingly at him.
"I'd like to help you, but I'm afraid I can't. Don't fret too much over Garista, though; I'm sure we'll get him soon," he said with conviction.
Flynn smiled weakly in return. "I hope you're right. In any case, I won't give up no matter what happens. I'll never let anyone hinder the peace," the Angel answered with as much conviction as Yuri just showed.
The latter smirked at his friend. "That's the spirit!" he exclaimed before getting on his feet again, which earned him an inquiring look from the captain.
"Come on, follow me! I want to take you somewhere!" Yuri said with enthusiasm.
Flynn looked skeptically at his friend. "Where to? Anyways, I can't. I still haven't finished writing my letter and I've got work to do. I – " Flynn was interrupted by Yuri grabbing his wrist and forcefully pulling him to his feet.
"Come on, don't be a spoilsport! I rose early this morning especially for this!" the Demon said as he pulled the Angel towards the window.
Flynn planted his feet on the ground, making it impossible for Yuri to move him anymore. The Demon turned an annoyed glare on his friend.
"What's with you? Come on!" he insisted.
Flynn was not fazed by Yuri's actions. He simply threw a scolding look to his friend.
"There's no way I'm leaving my room like a thief. And I'll follow you only if you use the door for once," the Angel answered.
Yuri sighed in annoyance and released the Angel's wrist.
"Fine. What I wouldn't do for you, I swear," he groaned as he made for the door instead. He did not miss the victorious smile stretched across his friend's lips. It annoyed him even more, but the thought that he would be able to make Flynn pay in a short moment tempered his annoyance.
Flynn would not be smiling like that for long.
"We're here!" Yuri announced as he stopped in front of a large establishment.
Flynn stopped at his side and eyed the building.
"What's this?" he asked, curious.
The last time Yuri showed him around, he had brought the Angel to the hot springs. Yuri could understand where his friend's curiosity came from. The Demon looked at Flynn.
"It's what we call a dojo. It's a place where we train our swordsmanship. I thought we could use some sparring. It's been a long time," he explained.
A small, amused smile appeared on the blonde's lips. "Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, I don't mind, but you on the other hand..." he trailed off, knowing Yuri would understand what he was implying.
Yuri merely smirked in return. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm not going to lose this time," he replied as he walked towards the entrance.
The Demon did not miss the light chuckle his friend let out. "I can't wait to see that," the Angel replied.
Yuri chose to ignore it as he kept on walking towards the building. Flynn followed him. When they entered the dojo, Yuri guided Flynn to a large room that was used for training. Swords were hanging on one of the walls and the room was empty except for a rack holding wooden swords used for training. Some tatamis were laid out on the floor against the far wall of the room. That was where the spectators sat to watch the matches that happened from time to time.
Flynn watched as Yuri went to the rack holding the wooden swords. He took two of them and went back to Flynn. Once close enough, the Demon threw one of the wooden swords to his friend who caught it with ease. Flynn eyed the sword.
"So that's why you didn't tell me to bring my sword with me," Flynn commented.
Yuri put a hand on his hip and dropped the wooden sword on his shoulder. A cocky smile stretched across his lips.
"Yeah. We don't use real swords in Jigoku when we do friendly spars. It's better that way. I wouldn't want to hurt you badly," Yuri teased his friend.
As expected, Flynn mirrored his smirk. "I'm not so sure about that, Yuri. You seem to forget about our last encounters. I do remember beating you quite easily the last times," the Angel taunted his best friend.
Yuri's humor dropped a little at the reminder. It was true the Demon never won a single time against , that was about to change. Yuri's smirk quickly came back.
"It doesn't matter, this time, I am so gonna kick your ass!" he exclaimed.
Flynn's smirk widened and he settled into his fighting stance. "No no no no no. I'm gonna kick your ass," he replied with amusement.
Yuri's eyes widened in surprise at the way Flynn responded to his taunt. He grew even more amused. "Ohoh, it's on now!" he exclaimed as he lunged at Flynn.
Their swords clashed for the first time. The two friends kept their weapons locked together, each of them trying to overpower the other. All the while they were smiling to the other; Yuri out of confidence and Flynn out of amusement.
Without too much difficulty, Flynn overpowered his friend and pushed him back. Yuri saw the Angel coming at him, his wooden sword aimed at his shoulder. Yuri quickly blocked the hit and deflected Flynn's weapon. He took the opportunity to swing his weapon towards the blonde's arm, hoping to land the first hit. However, it never reached.
Flynn quickly avoided the wooden sword. He then grabbed the back of Yuri's head and pushed him forward, hitting the Demon's back with his sword in the meantime. Yuri stumbled forward and spun around towards his friend.
Flynn was smiling at him, his blue eyes shining with amusement. "Do you still think you'll kick my ass?" he taunted.
A glint of outrage appeared in Yuri's eyes. "You'll regret that, Flynn!" he exclaimed before attacking his friend again.
Their swords clashed again and again, and no matter how hard Yuri tried to land a hit on Flynn, it was useless. He came close many times, but he never succeeded. The Angel was not having the same problem. His sword made contact with his friend many times.
Their fight never seemed to want to end. At some point, the dojo got filled with many curious people that were passing by the dojo and who heard the sounds coming from there. The dojo was usually empty so early in the morning, so their spar attracted attention.
Yuri was displeased by the attention, because he was clearly the one losing there. Again. And everyone could see it. What displeased him even more was that Judith and Schwann were part of the assistance. He did not want them to see him losing to Flynn. That was why he needed to win this fight. He could do it, he knew it. Flynn was beginning to get tired, just as him. He still had a chance to win!
Yuri lowered his weapon at Flynn and managed to land a hit on the Angel's shoulder. He heard Flynn hiss and Yuri was so happy to finally landing a hit on his friend that he lowered his guard for a split second. Flynn did not miss the opportunity. The angel swung his weapon in a downward arc, just behind Yuri's knees. The Demon lost his balance and fell harshly on his back with a surprised yelp.
When Yuri realized what just happened, he was looking up at the grinning and victorious face of his friend. He was too stunned to react in any way. All he was aware of was that infuriating smirk of Flynn and the exclamations of deception and cheering in the dojo. Flynn bent down over Yuri and offered him a hand.
"Are you all right, Yuri?" Flynn asked gently, now very concerned about the way Yuri just kept staring blankly at him.
Yuri did not answer; he did not even take the hand offered. It seemed to worry Flynn even more. The Angel grabbed his arm and pulled the Demon to his feet. He sought Yuri's gaze, but the latter had lowered his head and he did not see the worry that gleamed in Flynn's eyes.
"Yuri? Are you hurt somewhere?" the Angel asked more insistently.
Yuri clenched his hands into fists and his body began to shake.
"You're…" the Demon began in a low, shaky tone.
Flynn Frowned at that. "Yuri?" he called Yuri's name with uncertainty.
The Demon suddenly lifted his face, showing the Angel his features twisted with anger.
"… pissing me off!" Yuri exclaimed a second before he charged at his friend.
Flynn was so shocked that he did not have the time to do anything. Yuri's weight made him fall harshly on the floor on his back. When Flynn finally realized what had just happened, Yuri was sitting on the Angel's stomach, grinning evilly at him from above. Many exclamations of surprise echoed through the room at the unexpected reverse of situation.
Yuri liked it better that way. The Demon leaned down, his long hair falling from his shoulders to frame Flynn's still stunned face.
"I won," Yuri said, his smile widening.
The Demon expected Flynn to reply something. Instead, the Angel's face grew beat red, which confused Yuri. Why was he reacting like that? Was it because… oh. It finally dawned on Yuri that their current position was really awkward. Yuri was straddling his friend, their faces not too far apart. It was Yuri's turn to blush bright red in embarrassment.
Flynn finally regained control of his senses. He quickly flipped the tables and wind was knocked out of the Demon's lungs as his back harshly met the floor. Now he was the one looking up at Flynn for the second time that morning. The Angel's cheeks were still a little red, but he seemed to have gotten over his embarrassment as he was once again bearing that infuriating smile at Yuri.
"Better luck next time," he said breathlessly.
The Angel was then quick to get off of Yuri and he was soon on his feet, leaving the Demon on the floor, still trying to regain his breathing. A second later, exclamations exploded in the dojo, the majority of the spectators congratulating Flynn for his victory. He might be an Angel, but the Demons were used to respect the strong and the victorious. They would not make a distinction this time.
Yuri was mulling darkly over his defeat, still sprawled on the floor, when a shadow covered his face. He looked up to gaze at Schwann's empathic face.
"It seems you need some more training, Yuri, if you wish to beat a captain like Scifo-san," the captain said gently, but it did not hide the hint of amusement in his voice.
So, even Schwann thought his blatant defeat funny? As if that was not enough, another shadow covered him and Yuri's field of vision was met by Judith smiling cockily at him.
"Someone's got beaten pretty badly. It sucks to be you, Yuri," the woman said, obviously trying not to laugh at him. Yuri clenched his teeth in repressed anger.
Damn Flynn to hell! He was so going to pay for this!
The day had been particularly tough. In the middle of their border patrol with their men, Flynn and Yuri stopped in one of the reconstructing villages. When they arrived, chaos awaited them. Many of the Angels and Demons were fighting against each other over surely trivial matters.
The soldiers stationed there to keep order seemed to be unable to pull them apart. The skirmish had grown too big for them to deal with it alone. Flynn and Yuri immediately stepped in, soon followed by their soldiers and they managed to reestablish order.
It took even longer for the citizens of both countries to go back to work in a tensed atmosphere. Near the end of the day, the ambassadors were completely exhausted. Needing a small break, Yuri sat on a crate while he watched the citizens work together to rebuild the houses. Repede sat at his master's feet, his eyes looking in the same direction than Yuri as if he was supervising the operations too.
Soon, the Demon heard someone approach and he turned his face to see Flynn walking in his direction. Yuri greeted his friend with a faint smile. The Angel sat next to Yuri on the crate and his gaze fell on the people working.
"It was really hectic today," Flynn commented and his tiredness was obvious in his voice.
Yuri nodded. "Yeah. I'm just glad that we managed to bring things back under control," he answered.
Flynn turned his face towards Yuri. "Yes, me too. I wanted to ask you, though; do you think you'll be fine here alone for the rest of the day? A messenger from one of the nearest villages arrived a few minutes earlier, telling me that they were lacking materials for the reconstruction. I was thinking about bringing some of the materials here to the village until we can get some more from one of the capitals," the Angel explained.
Yuri put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry about me and go; I'll be fine. Anyways, if they start rampaging again, I've got Judy to punch some sense into them. She can be really convincing when she wants to," he joked lightly.
Flynn laughed before standing up again. "I see. In that case, I'll leave you in charge here. I'll see you later," Flynn said with a small smile.
The Angel turned around to leave, but Yuri stopped his friend with a call of his name. Flynn looked at the Demon, who was smiling gently at him.
"I was thinking about going there after work. What do you say?" Yuri said mysteriously, knowing Flynn would understand what he meant.
They never said anything too obvious about the cavern when they were in public, in fear that some undesirable people heard them and had the idea to search for it. It was their secret place and they wanted to keep it that way.
Flynn made a movement of his head. "I might go too. We'll see," he answered with a gentle expression before leaving to join his troops.
Yuri chuckled. He knew that Flynn's answer was just a roundabout way to say that he would come too. The day did not seem so bad suddenly with the prospect of some alone time with Flynn in the cavern. However, that thought faded quickly when Yuri heard exclamations of anger coming from somewhere in the village.
Repede growled and straightened up. The Demon sighed loudly as he stood up. So much for thinking he could take a little break, thought Yuri as he ran towards the source of the commotion, Repede not far behind him.
The sun had already disappeared when Yuri called it a day. The young Demon had just finished giving his troops the order to return to the capital when he heard someone call his name. Yuri turned around to see young Karol running towards him. The Demon had almost forgotten the young boy was working in that village, with all the commotion that had happened during the day. He did not have the time to really talk to his young friend all the time he was here thanks to the disputes.
Karol never reached Yuri. Repede jumped at the boy before he could make it, making him fall on his back with the dog on top of him. Repede was really fond of Karol, and showed his affection to the kid every chance he got. Karol turned his face to the side to avoid the dog's large tongue licking at his face.
"Aahh! Get him off me, Yuri!" Karol exclaimed with fright.
Yuri chuckled, almost tempted to let the boy in that position, but his pity soon took over his amusement.
"Repede, that's enough. Leave poor Karol alone, okay? Don't you see he's frightened?" he teased, knowing it would offend Karol.
He was right. Once the boy was back on his feet, he glared at Yuri, but his glare did not hold much strength.
"I-I wasn't scared! He was just too heavy!" he said in his defense.
Yuri managed to refrain from laughing, but an amused smile still stretched across his lips.
"Yeah, right. So, Captain Karol, is there something you wanted?" the older Demon said, regaining his serious.
Karol fidgeted a little as he looked at Yuri. "Um, do you think we could hang out together a little tonight? You've been busy lately and it's been a while," he said in a quiet tone, as if what he was saying was embarrassing.
Yuri was about to accept, but he soon remembered he had told Flynn he would be at their hideout tonight. That was a problem.
"Oh, sorry. I already promised I'll be somewhere," he said.
Karol's expression turned into a 'kicked-puppy' kind of expression and the second lieutenant wanted to swear under his breath. He was never able to resist such a look, even less when it was coming from a kid.
"Please, Yuri!" the boy insisted.
Yuri looked away from Karol, trying to ignore that expression the best he could.
"I'm sorry, Karol. I really can't," he repeated.
Repede growled in a scolding way. So the dog was siding with Karol. That was not surprising. Yuri soon felt something tug on his armor and he looked down. That was a big mistake. He saw Karol looking up at him, his big eyes staring at him pleadingly. That was his downfall.
Without thinking things through, Yuri answered the young boy; "Okay, okay, you can come with me, but at one condition; you won't tell anyone about the place where we'll be going. Can you do that?"
Karol's expression turned to confusion. "Huh? Why? Where are we going?" he asked, curious.
Yuri shook his head. "I can't tell you. You'll see when we get there. And I'm serious, Karol. You can't tell anyone. You have to promise me, or else I won't take you there," he explained with a serious expression.
Now Karol seemed excited about the mystery surrounding the place they were going to. He quickly nodded, curiosity sparking in his eyes.
"I won't tell, I promise!" he said.
Yuri sighed I defeat. "Okay, then. I'll take you there," he finished, already hoping that Karol would really keep his promise.
It did not take long for Yuri, Karol and Repede to arrive at the cavern. Yuri had taken Karol with him on his horse and Repede had run alongside them all the way there, barking excitedly. As soon as they entered the cavern, the boy's eyes widened in fascination and marvel at what he saw. Yuri could understand why. The cavern was a sight you did not see every day.
The Demon jumped down from his horse and helped the boy down. He then took the horse by the bridle and guided it to a spot where grass was growing. Knowing the animal would not run away, Yuri let it loose and free to eat and do what he wanted. Yuri then came back to Karol's side, who was still looking around with amazed eyes.
"So? What do you think of this place?" Yuri asked, already knowing the answer.
Karol finally looked at him, excitement plastered on his face. "It's amazing! You kept this place all to yourself?!" Karol asked in a loud, slightly jealous tone.
Yuri chuckled and his ears picked up the sound of footsteps coming their way. He put a hand on his hip and an amused smile appeared on his lips.
"Not exactly. I share it with an obnoxious blonde," he said and almost laughed at the puzzlement that appeared on the boy's face.
A few seconds later, Flynn appeared from around a big rock, frowning at Yuri. "I heard that, Yuri. And since when do you know such a complicated word?" Flynn said, a scowl on his face.
Karol turned around towards the voice and unease appeared on his face at the sight of the Angel. Yuri smirked at his best friend.
"Perfect timing, Flynn! I think you and Karol already met?" Yuri said.
The Angel's eyes flickered to the young boy for a second before coming back on the Demon with a glint of scolding.
Yuri sighed. He should have known his friend would react like that.
"Look, I made Karol promise not to tell anyone. Anyways, he kind of pushed me to bring him here; it's not my fault," he said in his defense.
Flynn shook his head in exasperation, but he let the matter go as his blue eyes turned to Karol once more. A polite smile stretched across his lips and he bowed lightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Karol-kun," he said politely, impressing Yuri.
With the little time the peace had been going, Flynn already knew most of the polite expressions used in Jigoku. It should not surprise him; it was Flynn, after all.
Karol's unease seemed to increase at that and it intrigued Yuri.
"Nice to see you, Flynn-san," he answered quietly, unable to meet the Angel's eyes.
Flynn made a frantic gesture of his hand, obviously uneasy too by the use of the honorific.
"No, please just call me Flynn. There is no use for such politeness with me," he answered.
An awkward silence then fell on the three companions, stretching on for a long time; until Yuri burst out laughing at his two friends' awkwardness towards each other. Flynn glared at Yuri, wondering what was so funny. Karol only stared helplessly at the older Demon.
Yuri did not deem explain himself. Once his hysterical laughter died down, he squatted next to Repede and whispered something in the dog's ear. When he finished, Repede barked happily. A second later, the dog was lunging at Karol, who yelped and started running around.
"Aahhh! Yuri, that's not funny! Stop him!" the kid yelled at the top of his lungs, running even faster to try and outrun Repede.
Yuri merely laughed, not intending to stop Repede any time soon. He would keep the boy occupied a moment. The Demon turned his face towards Flynn, who was still glaring at him.
"You can stop looking at me like that, Flynn," he said.
The Angel sighed in annoyance, but his glare softened. "Seriously, Yuri! If you keep bringing people here, our secret hideout won't be secret anymore," he said.
Yuri shrugged his shoulders. "It's not such a big deal, is it? I mean, we can see each other almost every day now, you know? It's not like it's the only place we can meet anymore. Anyways, I promise I won't bring Karol too much here. And about Judith, it really wasn't my fault. She followed me, remember?" he recalled that detail to his friend.
Flynn shook his head, but he said nothing. He still seemed a little displeased, though. A short moment later, Karol was running towards them, Repede still on his trail. The young boy quickly hid behind Yuri and the dog stopped in front of his masters, whining in displeasure.
"Yuri, you big meanie! Stop him!" Karol exclaimed with fright.
Yuri made a sign to Repede, who stopped trying to tail the boy. The dog whined and slowly walked away from the trio in search of a comfortable spot to lie down and brood at his loss of entertainment. Karol visibly relaxed once Repede's threat was gone. His gaze traveled shyly between Yuri and Flynn.
"Um… did you guys stumble upon this place together recently?" the young Demon asked.
Yuri looked at Flynn and smiled at him. He was glad to see the Angel return his smile.
"No. Me and Flynn know each other way back, long before we obtained peace," Yuri revealed, knowing there was no harm in telling Karol now.
A quick look at Flynn told Yuri that the Angel did not mind him telling the boy.
Karol's eyes widened. "For real? How did you meet?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Yuri chuckled. "Curious, aren't you? It's a long story, but I don't mind telling you. After that, would you like for me and Flynn to train you at the sword? That guy is pretty good," he said as he pointed his friend.
The Angel raised an eyebrow at that. "Only "pretty good"? Then what does that make you for losing to me every single time?" Flynn teased.
Yuri frowned and glared at his friend. He did not need Flynn to remind him of his streak of losses. Their last encounter had been especially frustrating and humiliating. Yuri had sulked over his defeat for almost the entire day that time he lost against Flynn at the dojo. The Angel seemed to take great pleasure in reminding him of his inferiority every time he could.
"Shut up, Flynn. I won't compliment you anymore, if you're to take it that way. Karol, you can forget what I just said about that guy. He's worthless," he suddenly said.
Flynn's eyes widened with outrage at his friend's words. "Thanks a lot," the Angel answered briskly.
A smirk appeared on Yuri's lips. "You really can't take a joke, can you?" replied the Demon.
Flynn was about to answer when a sudden laugh had both friends' attention turn on the source of the laugh: Karol. The young boy was almost doubled over, laughing himself to tears. When he finally stopped, he smiled at the two friends.
"You're really funny together! I-I didn't notice before, but you're really alike!" he exclaimed.
Yuri and Flynn looked at each other with wide eyes, taking in the boy's words. They were… alike? Now that Yuri thought about it, they were similar on some points. Yuri was slightly embarrassed by the boy's observation.
He tried to hide it by changing the subject in a dry tone; "Okay, do you want to hear our story or not?"
Karol regained his serious enough to frantically nod.
Never did Yuri notice the way Flynn was looking to the side, deeply lost in thoughts over Karol's last words.
That night, the high ranking officers from Jigoku – as well as Yuri because of his status as ambassador – were staying at the castle in Paradis. They had to attend a meeting at the castle that day and it elapsed late in the evening. The Angels offered their hospitality to the Demons, not wanting them to travel back to Jigoku by night. Rooms had been prepared for them in the guests' quarters.
Yuri awoke early the next morning with a start. Still half awake, he did not realize at first what caused him to wake up, but soon enough, he heard hurried steps running down the hallway of the castle where his room was located.
Wondering what was going on, Yuri slipped out of his bed and quickly walked to the door. He opened it and looked in the hallway with still sleepy eyes. Two guards appeared at the end of the hallway and passed in front of Yuri's open door without seeing the Demon.
Yuri's curiosity was enough to chase his last remnants of sleep. Yuri left his room, closing the door behind him. He quickly followed the two guards through the hallways, ignoring the feeling of foreboding in his gut as he did so. The guards led Yuri out of the guests' quarters and into a part of the castle that was unknown to him.
The Demon turned a corner and suddenly saw an agitated crowd agglutinated in front of the open door to a room. In the mob of Angels, Yuri recognized his friend Flynn standing just in front of the door and preventing the people from entering the room, Worried and concerned, the Demon quickly made his way over to the crowd. He pushed his way through and towards his friend.
"Flynn!" Yuri called his friend's name worryingly.
The captain heard him and turned his face towards Yuri. The Demon saw great worry all over his friend's face. He was soon at Flynn's side.
"Yuri," the Angel acknowledged his friend in a grave tone.
He seemed to be too troubled to say anything else. It deepened Yuri's worry.
"Flynn, what's going on? Why is – " as he began asking questions, Yuri's gaze traveled to the inside of the room and he stopped talking as soon as he saw what was inside.
Sprawled brokenly on the floor, his back against the bed, lied a man. He was – or rather had been, since he was now obviously dead – in his forties. His lifeless eyes were wide open and his features were distorted in a mask of fear. Blood was staining the corner of his mouth. A bloody sword wound was visible on his chest, right over his heart. Blood was staining the man's clothes and the floor below.
Yuri gasped audibly at the sight. "Wh-what happened? And who's that man?" the Demon asked his friend with a shaking voice.
The Angel's expression darkened. "He's Councilor Garett. He was a high member of the council and he had a lot of influence. He was a good man. I don't know what happened. One of the councilors came to get him this morning and found him dead in his room, obviously murdered," the Angel answered darkly.
Yuri's horrified gaze returned on the corpse. Who could have done such a horrible act?!
A loud voice suddenly resounded nearby and covered the agitated voices of the Angels. All heads turned towards where it came from to see Commandant Alexei standing in the hallway with two guards. He lifted an arm in the air in a stiff gesture, a solemn expression plastered to his face.
"I want everyone to return to their rooms at once! There is nothing to see here! You will all be informed of the matter later!" the commandant announced in a severe tone that left no place for arguing.
The crowd quickly dispersed, obeying Alexei's order. Yuri threw a worried glance at Flynn. He did not want to leave, but Alexei's order left him no choice on the matter. The Demon reluctantly turned around and began to walk slowly in the direction he came from in order to return to his room.
When he was about to turn the corner of the hallway, he clearly heard Alexei say; "Not you, Captain Scifo. I'll need your help here."
That was the last thing Yuri heard before he left towards his room with anxiousness hanging heavily in his gut.
Back in his bedroom, Yuri furiously paced around as he anxiously waited for any news concerning the corpse found earlier that morning. It had already been two hours since the macabre discovery and the Demon could not take the wait anymore. He was about to go crazy when there was a sudden knock against his door.
Yuri hurried to the door, thinking it was his friend Flynn coming to see him. However, when he opened the door, it was not Flynn but a servant waiting for him on the other side. The young woman greeted him nervously. Yuri frowned when he noticed the guard waiting outside his room.
"Good morning, sir. Please forgive me for intruding, but your presence is requested to the courtroom right away, sir," she said in a quiet tone.
Yuri eyed the guard again, suddenly feeling uneasy about what the reason for his summoning could be.
Realizing after a moment that the servant was waiting for his answer, Yuri nodded slowly.
"Right. I'll come," he answered.
The Demon slipped out of his bedroom and closed the door behind him. The guard stepped aside, making a movement of his hand towards the end of the hallway.
"Please come this way," he said in a solemn tone.
Yuri nodded again and followed the guard, already dreading what would happen once at the courtroom.
When they arrived there, the guards blocking the entrance let Yuri inside. The Demon saw an unusual amount of people gathered in the courtroom. King William, his son Ioder and his daughter Estelle were there, as well as all the members of the council, including Garista. Alexei, Flynn and Duke were also present, as well as their lieutenants.
What surprised Yuri the most was the presence of Schwann, Nylen, Yeager, and his father Ryuku. The fact that all the Demons residing in the castle had been summoned was curious; really curious. Yuri did not like where is mind was going right now. He dearly hoped he was wrong.
Yuri was the last one to arrive. He bowed respectfully in front of the king before taking the empty place next to Schwann. Once he was seated, King William stood up, demanding the silence. The murmurs in the room all quieted down at once to make room to a tense and heavy silence. William let his usual calm but now troubled gaze travel over the Angels and Demons gathered in the room.
"Now that everyone is here, we can begin this emergency meeting," the sovereign announced.
Yuri had no difficulty guessing the meeting had something to do with the murder this morning. He stayed silent, his gaze glued on the King while apprehension settled heavy on his heart.
"This morning, it has been brought to my attention that Councilor Garett was found dead in his room," the king announced.
Exclamations of surprise and horror echoed through the room. Yuri realized that not everyone was already aware of the news. A quick look at the other Demons told him that Schwann and Nylen were unaware of it. The two captains looked worried and shocked.
It was not the case of Ryuku and Yeager, though. The first one was bearing a stoic expression, while the last looked fairly amused by the situation. A small smile was stretched across Yeager's lips and his eyes were shining with mirth. It enraged Yuri to see the cruel captain so amused. The king's voice snapped Yuri out of his observation. His gaze returned on William's serious face.
"I'll leave to Alexei the task of explaining the situation in details. Commandant, if you would," William said before sitting down.
The commandant stood up and bowed briefly in front of his king before addressing everyone. "I and Captain Scifo examined the crime scene. It seems Councilor Garett was killed from being stabbed through the chest. The body was still warm when it was found, which means the crime was committed early this morning. The wound seemed to have been caused by a sword. This is the reason why we brought you all here, especially our guests of honor," he said in an even tone.
A heavy silence fell over the room. Yuri really did not like where this was going. He chanced a glance at Flynn to see the Angel was stubbornly looking down at the table.
The commandant's next words were like a sword driven into Yuri's heart; "we inspected the wound on Councilor Garett's body and it was made obvious for me and Captain Scifo that it was not a wound made by a weapon from Paradis. The wound is too small for that. It seems more likely to have been made by a Demon's weapon."
As soon as he finished, exclamations of outrage and anger exploded in the room. Many of the councilors, with Garista leading, stood up and screamed at the Demons, who were too stunned to retaliate. Yuri could not believe his ears. The councilor was killed by a Demon?! That was impossible! None of the Demons present right now would do such a thing! Or… would they? Yuri's eyes shifted briefly to Yeager and Ryuku and he felt his conviction weaken.
Yuri sought Flynn's gaze, his eyes looking pleadingly at the Angel, hoping that his friend would refute the commandant's words. Flynn felt the weight of the Demon's gaze on him. His blue eyes were soon on Yuri and the latter's heart sank when he saw the serious resignation in them.
Ryuku suddenly stood up and slammed his hands against the table.
"Is this a joke?! Are you accusing one of us Demons of killing that councilor?!" Ryuku roared, glaring at Alexei with such hatred that it would have made any normal person cower in fear.
However, Alexei was not impressed. He stared calmly back at Ryuku, keeping silent in front of the general's anger.
William's voice suddenly echoed strongly through the room, trying to bring back order. When the sovereign was finally able to restore order, the tension was still strong in the courtroom. The councilors were glaring venomously at the Demons and Ryuku was shaking from anger. Yeager was still bearing an amused smile, while Yuri, Schwann and Nylen were too shaken to do or say anything.
Once everyone had calmed down slightly, William spoke once more; "An investigation to find the culprit will be undergoing as of now, under Commandant Alexei's care. Until this matter is settled, I have the regret to announce that nobody is to leave the castle under any circumstances. I hope you understand."
Yuri's eyes widened with surprise at the king's words. He was not the only one reacting to the news.
"This is blasphemy! You intend to keep me trapped in here like a vulgar rat?! What's more, you're implying that I could be the one responsible for this murder?! This is insulting!" Ryuku exclaimed, fury and outrage twisting his features.
The aggressiveness in his words was palpable. A second later, Alexei, Flynn and Duke all put a hand on the handle of their swords, ready to protect their king if need be. King William himself did not seem fazed by the general's reaction. He was surely expecting it.
The sovereign's gaze was unwavering as he stared at Ryuku.
"I'm sorry, General Lowell. I didn't mean for you to get involved, but I have no choice. We have to put our efforts in common to find the one responsible for this atrocious murder. I meant no offense. The restraint still stands, both for Demons and Angels. The murderer might be someone outside from the castle, but I can't take the chance to let him escape if he is indeed in this castle," he explained calmly.
Ryuku had nothing to reply to that. He sat back slowly, still glaring darkly at the king as he did so. The people gathered in the room were once again restless, both by the news of the murder and the order of staying put at the castle until further notice.
Before it became cacophonic, William addressed everyone one last time; "We will inform you all of further developments regarding this murder. For now, I would suggest everyone to calm down and stay put. This meeting is over," the king concluded with a hint of tiredness in his voice.
As soon as he said those words, the people gathered began to leave the room in an uproar, obviously distressed by the news. Yuri looked at Flynn, wanting badly to talk to his friend. Unfortunately, the young captain was already accosted by Alexei. It frustrated him to know he would have to wait to talk to him later.
But it was not like he had a choice.
Yuri was leaning against the guardrail of the second floor balcony overhanging the inner garden of the castle. He was looking blankly in the distance, lost in thoughts. The young Demon could not stop thinking about the meeting that happened that morning.
The implication that it was a Demon who had killed the councilor was eating away at his mind. What if it was true? It could put the peace in peril! He did not know what to think of it. Yuri desperately needed to talk to his friend, to sort out his thoughts with him, but Flynn was busy. Yuri sighed in annoyance. Just as things were looking good for both countries, this had to happen! Why?
Yuri was so lost in thoughts that he did not even hear the loud footsteps coming his way. He was startled when the newcomer leant against the guardrail at his side. Yuri turned his gaze to the side and saw Captain Nylen smiling gently at him.
"What an eventful morning," the captain commented quietly.
Yuri smiled ironically. "Good morning, Captain Nylen. Frankly, we could have gone without it," the second lieutenant answered.
Nylen chuckled quietly and pulled out a tobacco pipe from his pocket. He lighted it up and exhaled the smoke while his gaze got lost in the contemplation of the garden.
"I know. I don't think this matter will be solved in a day or two, sadly. What a mess," the captain said in a resigned tone.
Yuri looked closely at Nylen's face. The older man looked really bothered by the whole situation. There was no doubt in Yuri's mind that the captain was innocent. Yuri did not know Nylen as much as he knew Schwann, but something told him that neither of them would have killed that Angel. If it was really a Demon that had done the deed, and if he was still in the castle right now, that left little choice…
"Captain Nylen, can I ask you something?" Yuri asked quietly.
The pair of reddish brown eyes was soon on Yuri, silently giving his approval. Yuri hesitated for a second before deciding to speak his mind.
"Do you… do you believe that one of us could have really murdered that man?"
Nylen stayed silent at first, staring at Yuri with an undecipherable expression. After a short moment, the captain turned his gaze away while a humorless smile stretched across his lips.
"Who knows? As far as I'm concerned, everyone could have done it; even me," Nylen answered in a serious tone.
Yuri's eyes widened in surprise at the words he just heard. What was Nylen saying? The captain's gaze was soon back on Yuri as he took another drag from his pipe.
"Look, if I'm saying this, it's to make you understand not to trust anyone. You may think you know someone well, but you can never guess what's hidden deep in that person's heart. And in the current situation, I believe even an Angel could have killed that councilor for who knows what motive. We can't rule anyone out as a suspect," he explained.
Yuri stayed silent. He did not like Nylen's line of thoughts, but he had to admit he was right. Yuri was impressed. Nylen was able to think things through with a calm head; it was something the young Demon was unable to do. His emotions were quick to take the better of him and make him do irrational things.
The sound of clinking armor behind them had both Demons turn their head around. Yuri saw Flynn stopping in the middle of the balcony, out of breath. Yuri realized his friend must have run all the way here. Nylen pushed away from the guardrail and put a hand on Yuri's shoulder before walking away. The captain bowed briefly in front of Flynn as he walked by him and left the balcony and the two friends alone. As soon as he was gone, Yuri approached his friend.
"Hey, Flynn. Everything alright?" Yuri asked, concerned.
Normally, Yuri would have made fun of his friend for seeing him in such a state, but now was not the time for jokes. He understood that very well.
Flynn calmed his breathing. "I searched for you everywhere. I need to talk to you," the Angel said with a serious edge to his voice.
"I know. But let's not talk here; anyone could overhear," Yuri replied on the same tone.
Flynn nodded curtly. "Right. Let's go to my room," he proposed.
Without further ado, the two friends walked in a heavy silence towards the captain's room. Once they arrived, Flynn let Yuri inside and closed the door behind them. Yuri leaned against Flynn's desk and folded his arms on in chest, looking at the Angel as he took a seat at the edge of his bed. Flynn leaned forward and let his elbows rest on his knees.
A short moment of silence elapsed before Yuri finally asked what had been bothering him since the meeting this morning.
"Is it true? The councilor was killed by one of our weapons?" the Demon asked, wanting to ascertain the facts.
Flynn had seen it, after all. The Angel lifted his face and stared at Yuri with resignation shining in his eyes.
"Yes. I'm afraid so," he answered reluctantly.
Yuri turned his gaze away, taking in his friend's words that felt like a blow to his gut. He did not want to believe that one of his people had done such a horrible act, but he had to see the truth. The evidence pointed towards it and it could not be pushed aside.
"Yuri, I need you to be honest with me. Do you think one of the Demons here could have murdered him?" Flynn suddenly asked firmly.
Yuri sighed and massaged his forehead, feeling the beginning of a headache.
"I-I really don't know, Flynn. I don't think that my dad would do something as foolish as that, but it's possible coming from Yeager. He seemed really amused by the whole situation at the meeting. I… I just don't know," he said with frustration.
Yuri hated coming up empty, and it was happening right now. He had no clue what to do, or about who had committed the murder.
Flynn kept staring at him and worry appeared in the pair of blue eyes. "I see. Surely you've realized, Yuri, that this is a really serious matter. If things degenerate between the Angels and the Demons right now, we can say goodbye to the peace," he said with concern.
Yuri snarled in frustration. "I know that! Do you think I haven't thought about it?" he said harsher than he wanted.
Flynn did not show any signs of being hurt by his tone, however. He surely understood it was Yuri's nerves that made him so on edge.
Yuri forced himself to calm down. As he did so, Nylen's words resurfaced in his mind. His eyes widened in realization. He had not thought about that…
"Hey, Flynn," Yuri called his friend's name quietly.
Flynn was soon staring at him questioningly, waiting for him to continue.
"Was Councilor Garett in favor of the peace?" Yuri asked distractedly.
Flynn frowned slightly, wondering why Yuri was asking that.
"Yes, he was. In fact, I heard he was one of the firsts to go along with the idea of peace between our two countries," the Angel revealed.
Yuri nodded slowly and he began to pace in the room as his thoughts ran wildly in his head.
Flynn looked worriedly at his friend. "What's the matter, Yuri?" he asked, concerned and not wanting to be kept in the dark.
Yuri stopped pacing and stared at the Angel. "I'm thinking that he might have been murdered for that very reason. Maybe the killer is someone who's not happy with the peace," the Demon began to explain in a thoughtful tone.
Flynn kept silent, but Yuri saw something flicker in the Angel's eyes; confusion. Flynn did not understanding what he was trying to say just yet. It pushed Yuri to continue on his line of thoughts.
"I'm also thinking that this person may not necessarily be a Demon," he added, not leaving the blonde's gaze for a second.
Flynn frowned. "Are you forgetting about the weapon that killed him? It was a – oh. I think I understand what you're trying to say," the Angel said quietly and Yuri was glad his friend had caught on so fast.
"Yeah. Since we can basically travel between our two countries fairly easily now, do you think it's that hard for an Angel to get his hands on a katana? I think not," Yuri said.
Now it was the captain's turn to rise from the bed and pace in his bedroom, his armor clinking with each quick step he took. His expression was thoughtful.
"So what you mean to say is that the culprit is someone who wants to put an end to the peace, and that there's a chance that person is an Angel, and not a Demon? The more I think about it, the more it seems possible. It would be the perfect way to bring chaos back between our two countries; by putting the blame on the Demons," Flynn said in a quick tone.
Yuri nodded, even though Flynn could not see it with the way he was furiously pacing.
"Exactly. Doesn't that ring a bell? An Angel that would do anything to break the treaty?" Yuri asked.
He already knew the answer to his own question and he was sure Flynn did too. The blonde stopped pacing and turned around to stare into Yuri's gaze with a cold realization.
"Garista," Flynn spat out the name like it was poison on his tongue.
A sour smile stretched across Yuri's lips. So Flynn thought the same thing as him. With what the councilor had been up to recently, it would not be surprising to learn he was involved in the current mess.
Flynn's expression turned thoughtful once more. "But wait a minute. Let's pretend for a moment he is the murderer; he's still a councilor. Making a few letters disappear is something he can easily do; however, now we're talking about killing someone with a sword. Garista is no soldier. I would be surprised if he even knows how to handle a sword," Flynn said in a bothered tone.
Yuri had already thought about it, and his conclusion was not a good one. The Demon's gaze darkened.
"Then he has an accomplice. He's using someone to do the dirty job for him," he said in a quiet and angry tone.
Flynn sighed and tiredly rubbed his temples. "You know what, you may very well be right. But the problem stays the same; we have no proof that Garista is the culprit," he said dejectedly.
Yuri sighed and went to sit on his friend's bed. He then let himself fall down on his back on the soft mattress.
"I know. That's what's pissing me off. If only we had something against that bastard!" Yuri exclaimed with frustration.
Silence answered him. After a short moment, Yuri felt the mattress shift and he looked up to see Flynn staring at him from above. Yuri searched into his friend's blue gaze.
"What do we do now, Flynn?" he asked quietly.
The Angel smiled sadly at his friend. "We can't do anything for now but wait. I'll keep on watching over Garista and hope for him to make a false move. Hopefully, Alexei will find some proofs on the crime scene to incriminate the culprit," he answered.
Yuri looked blankly to the side, thinking about a possible course of action. "Can't we tell the king about our doubts on Garista?" he asked after a moment.
Flynn shook his head in negation. "That wouldn't be a good idea. We shouldn't make false accusations until we have proof to back it up, especially since we would be going after a high member of the council," he said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Yuri did not know what to answer to that, so he kept silent, falling into his thoughts. A short moment later, he felt a callused hand run through his soft strands in a gentle caress. Yuri closed his eyes at the contact and his body relaxed. Flynn always knew how to make some of his tension disappear.
Yuri heard the Angel whisper softly; "We'll find something out, Yuri. We always do."
The Demon made a soft sound of acknowledgment, even though for the first time in a long time, he was unsure of their success.
Two days passed since Councilor Garett was found dead in his bedroom. Even though Flynn was not supposed to reveal anything to anyone about the investigation concerning the murder, the young captain told Yuri about everything they found on the crime scene. Unfortunately, there was almost nothing worth mentioning.
One thing was for sure, though; the councilor had tried to defend himself against his aggressor before being killed savagely. His body was wearing marks of violence. Also, the door to his bedroom had been forced open. Garett had surely tried to close it after seeing who his morning visitor was.
Needless to say those were little proof to incriminate anyone. The castle's occupants were slowly growing restless, as if waiting for something to happen. The tension was palpable between the Angels and the Demons and both Flynn and Yuri feared what would happen if they did not find the culprit soon.
The evening of the second day, Yuri was talking with Flynn in the latter's room. When he saw how late it was, the Demon bid goodbye to his friend and left his room. He walked in the hallways towards the guests' quarters to get to his own room. Due to the late hour, the hallways were empty except for the occasional guards patrolling.
It took Yuri less than five minutes to arrive at destination. Once in front of his bedroom, Yuri opened it and slipped inside. He knew something was wrong before he even had the time to light his room. A strong odor reached his nostrils, a scent he would recognize everywhere, a disgusting scent: blood.
Alarmed, Yuri quickly lighted up the lamp on the desk near the door. His gaze was then attracted to the center of his room. His eyes widened in horror and before he could stop himself, a scream of surprise was torn from his throat. Yuri fell on the ground, his back against the wall, too paralyzed to tear his gaze away from what caused him such a shock.
The corpse of a knight was hanging from the ceiling with a rope tied tightly around his neck. The Angel's features were distorted in a grotesque grimace. His throat was slit open and his stomach was pierced. Blood seeped from the wounds and fell against the floor in a steady flow.
The scent and the sight were soon too much for Yuri. He turned his head to the side and retched, barely holding in the contents of his stomach. He was so distressed that he barely heard hurried steps in the hallway coming towards his room.
A few seconds later, the door to his room was slammed opened. Yuri heard gasps of horror coming from the people at his door. A guard screamed at someone else to go get Alexei. The next thing Yuri knew, someone squatted down at his side and the hand suddenly on his shoulder made him jump.
Yuri turned his gaze to the side and saw Schwann looking at him with concern.
"Yuri, what happened?" the captain asked.
Yuri regained enough composure to answer him. "I-I just came back into my room and I found that man hanged at the ceiling," the young Demon explained shakily.
Schwann looked at the corpse and he sighed. "That's not good. I recognize that man. He's Commandant Alexei's lieutenant," he said with concern.
Yuri gasped and glanced at the corpse again. Now that he got over the initial shock, he looked closer at the corpse and finally recognized the armor he was wearing. He was indeed a lieutenant.
More hurried steps coming their way were heard. Yuri turned his face towards the door in time to see Alexei, Flynn, and a few guards enter his bedroom in a hurry. Alexei froze at the sight of his lieutenant's corpse and the others gasped in horror. Flynn's horrified blue gaze met Yuri's shaken one. Alexei was quick to get over his shock. He turned his gaze towards the two guards standing at his side.
"You two. Get my lieutenant down from there," he ordered in a brisk tone.
The commandant then turned towards Yuri. His severe eyes bore into the Demon's.
"Yuri Lowell, I want you to follow me. The same goes for you, Captain Schwann," he ordered in a tone that left no place to arguing.
Schwann nodded and looked at his second lieutenant. "Yuri, can you stand?" he asked gently.
The young Demon nodded and pushed himself on his feet with the help of his captain. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him, but he managed to hold it in. Yuri was sure his face was white as a ghost, if the way Flynn was looking worriedly at him was any indication. Without another word, Alexei turned around and was about to leave the room when Flynn stopped him.
"Commandant! I'd like to come too, with your permission," he asked in an almost pleading tone.
Alexei looked at Flynn for a couple of seconds before nodding. "If you wish, Captain Scifo," he said before leaving the room.
Yuri and Flynn locked gazes for a split second before the trio left Yuri's bedroom, following the commandant. They all froze in place when they saw a crowd of Angels blocking the hallway. The guards were trying to keep them away from Yuri's room. They had surely been woken up by the guards running in the hallways earlier. Amongst them, Yuri recognized some of the councilors. Garista was one of them.
"Filthy Demons! Get the hell away from here! Murderers!" screamed some of the Angels at Yuri and Schwann.
Flynn instinctively placed himself in front of them both while Alexei gazed severely at the crowd.
"Return to your rooms at once! There's nothing to see here!" he exclaimed harshly. The commandant's temper was running dangerously short.
Not wanting to go against Alexei's orders, the crowd dispersed slowly. Garista shot a poisonous glare at Flynn and Yuri and the Angel captain gladly returned it. When the way was clear, the commandant motioned to Flynn, Yuri and Schwann to follow him once more.
As they walked down the hallway and passed in front of the guests' rooms, Yuri saw Yeager leaning on the door frame of his room, an amused smile stretched across his lips. The young Demon frowned at that and he stared at Yeager until he was out of his sight.
Alexei guided them to his office. Once there, he ushered them all inside. The commandant closed the door behind them and asked them to sit. They did as told and waited in a tense silence. Alexei went behind his desk and put his hands on it, but he stayed up. He looked severely at Yuri and the Demon held that harsh gaze.
"Tell me what happened," the silver haired man asked in a commanding tone.
Yuri had nothing to hide, so he decided to tell the truth. "I was with Flynn – sorry, Captain Scifo – in his room until it was late. When I left, I immediately went to my room to get some sleep. When I entered and lighted up the room, I saw your lieutenant hanged at the ceiling. He was already dead when I came there. I had nothing to do with his death," Yuri explained.
Alexei looked at Flynn and the latter nodded briefly in front of his superior.
"He's telling the truth, Commandant. When you came to get me, Ambassador Lowell had left my room about five minutes ago. I really doubt he had the time to kill your lieutenant in that short lapse of time. And judging by the state of the body, he was killed a while ago, while Ambassador Lowell was still with me," Flynn said.
Alexei stayed silent for a while, thinking over Flynn's words. Then, he talked with slow and detached words, breaking the tense silence.
"So you are implying that the murderer who killed my lieutenant put the corpse in Lowell's room to pin the murder on him?" he summarized what the two friends where trying to say.
They both nodded. Schwann took that moment to talk for the first time since he entered Alexei's office.
"If you'll permit me, Commandant, I think those two young men are right. When I found Yuri, he was not in the state someone who had done the deed would be. In addition, if he really was the one who had killed your lieutenant, he certainly would not have left the corpse in his own room," Schwann analyzed.
Alexei stared at Schwann for a short time. He finally sighed and plopped down into his chair. The commandant pinched the bridge of his nose in a tired way.
"I thought as much. Lowell, since you have an alibi, you are free of all charges this time," Alexei announced.
Yuri nodded silently. A knock was heard against the commandant's door and Alexei told them to enter. Yuri turned his head around to see the two guards that were ordered to take care of the lieutenant's corpse enter the office. They greeted their superior.
"The body has been moved. What are your orders, sir?" one of them asked.
Alexei stood up again. "I want you to wake up every last occupant of the castle! I want all of the rooms searched, without exception! Notify me at once if you find anything suspicious! I also want more guards on patrol as of now! The killer is within those walls and I want him found!" the commandant exclaimed in a strong voice.
The two soldiers nodded curtly before hurrying out of the office to proceed with Alexei's orders.
The commandant's gaze returned on Yuri. "My sincerest apology for what just happened. I'll have another room prepared for you at once in the guests' quarters. I suggest you all return to your rooms and stay put while we investigate this new murder," he said, now letting his gaze travel between the three people seated in his office.
They nodded and stood up, knowing it meant they were free to leave the commandant's office. They thanked Alexei and left without another word.
Once outside of the office, Schwann looked worriedly at Yuri. "Are you going to be okay, Yuri?" he asked gently.
A strained smile appeared on Yuri's face. "Yeah. Don't worry. Thanks for your help," he said.
Schwann smiled back and squeezed his second lieutenant's shoulder. "Don't mention it. I wasn't about to let you be accused of something you obviously didn't do," he replied.
Schwann released his shoulder. "I'll return to my room. If you need anything, you can come see me, alright?" he said.
Yuri nodded and watched as his captain walked away.
Another hand brushed his shoulder, but this time it was Flynn's. The Angel was throwing him a concerned look.
"Yuri, are you sure you're fine? You're shaking," he noted quietly.
Yuri only realized now that he was indeed shaking. Seeing that corpse had affected him more than he wanted to admit. The Demon shook his head.
"Don't worry, I said I'll be fine," he answered.
However, his voice was betraying him and Flynn did not miss it. The Angel's worried expression only deepened.
"I'll see you later, Flynn," Yuri said, just wanting to get away somewhere and forget about everything that just happened.
He turned around and was about to walk away when Flynn's hand closed around his wrist and whirled him around. Yuri's eyes widened and he looked at an equally surprised Flynn. The Angel's body seemed to have acted on its own accord. The Angel looked to the side and his cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"Sorry, I-I just wanted to tell you that you could spend the rest of the night at my place, if you wanted," Flynn blurted out, his embarrassment deepening.
If possible, Yuri's eyes widened even more. He did not know what to reply since it was the first time Flynn was proposing something along those lines.
Flynn took Yuri's silence as a negative answer. "It's fine if you don't want to. Forget I said anything," he muttered quickly.
Yuri finally reacted. "I didn't say no. I was just surprised," Yuri said, feeling equally embarrassed by Flynn's offer.
He could not deny that it pleased him, though. The Angel finally found the courage to look his friend in the eye.
"So does that mean yes? I… could use the company," Flynn admitted.
Yuri nodded, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Yeah, I do too. Okay, I'll… go with you," the Demon answered in a tone he hoped normal enough.
Flynn smiled at his friend, pleased that he accepted. They began to walk in silence towards the knights' quarters where Flynn's room was located. As they walked there, Yuri suddenly realized something; Flynn's room had only one bed. In the case Yuri would need to get some sleep later – which he seriously doubted, considering what just happened and the fact that the whole castle would be in an uproar soon – they would have to sleep in the same bed.
Yuri blushed furiously at the thought, even though he did not know the reason for his embarrassment. He and Flynn were friends, so what was wrong with that? Friends could share a bed, right?
Then why did his heart beat madly in his chest at the thought of sleeping next to Flynn?
Yuri awoke confused the next morning. His memory was a little blurry and because of it, he did not remember why he was not sleeping in his room. When he fully opened his eyes, Yuri froze as he realized he was in Flynn's room; and worse, that he was in his bed. What happened? His memory was all fuzzy… The familiar sound of a quill scratching on paper caught his attention. Yuri straightened up in the bed and he groaned in pain as a headache pounded into his skull.
Flynn heard him. The Angel was sitting at his desk. He stopped writing and put down his quill. He turned around on his chair and smiled at Yuri.
"Good morning. How are you feeling?" Flynn asked gently.
The sight of Flynn made him remember the events of the last day. He remembered having found the dead body of Alexei's lieutenant in his room; he remembered being summoned into the commandant's office and then Flynn inviting him to spend the rest of the night in his bedroom. Yuri would never have guessed he would find sleep in the end, but it happened.
"I'm okay. Did… you sleep a little last night?" the Demon asked.
Flynn turned his gaze away from Yuri and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yeah. I figured the bed was big enough for two. Was that okay? I mean… I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything," he blurted out with unease.
Yuri shook his head, meeting his friend's gaze again. "No, it's okay. I mean… it's your bed, right? I'm the one who intruded," Yuri replied awkwardly.
A tensed silence stretched between the two friends, which was a rare occurrence. After a short moment, Yuri could not take more of it and broke it with the first topic that came to mind.
"So, did you have any news yet on the murder of Alexei's lieutenant?" the Demon asked.
Flynn relaxed visibly as they now entered a conversation they were more used to. The Angel sighed.
"Unfortunately, no. Like Alexei said yesterday, they searched the entire castle for anything relating to the murder. They didn't find anything," Flynn said dejectedly.
Yuri nodded and his expression darkened. He untangled himself from the bed sheets and sat at the edge of his friend's bed.
"And what about the king? Did he hold another meeting?" Yuri asked.
If the king did, then Yuri was wondering why Flynn had not waked him up.
However, the Angel answered negatively. "No, he didn't. That's what's puzzling me," he added with a frown.
Yuri threw a confused look at his friend. "Why?" he asked, stifling a yawn at the same time.
The Angel stared back at his friend. "Because King William said at the last meeting that he would inform everyone of further developments. The fact that he didn't is strange, but I think I know why. I thought a lot about it," Flynn said quietly.
Yuri waited in silence for his friend to explain, which the latter did. "What if King William has doubts about the murderer being someone present at the last meeting?" the Angel exposed his theory.
Yuri frowned at first at his friend's words, but soon, his face lightened up. "Right! If the killer was someone in that room, than if he held another meeting, it would mean informing the murderer of the investigation's advancement and it would play in their favor!" Yuri deducted.
A small smile appeared on Flynn's tired face. "Exactly. Which brings us back to our prime suspect: Garista," he concluded.
Yuri sighed in annoyance. "Yeah. That bastard seemed just too happy to see the turn of events yesterday. He surely knows that we have nothing to incriminate him. I also really wouldn't be surprised that he'd be the one trying to pin that last murder on me," the Demon commented.
Flynn nodded his approval and silence fell down on the two friends as they got lost into their respective thoughts. After a moment, Yuri called his friend's name to gain his attention. The captain looked at him questioningly.
"I was thinking about something. Let's pretend again that Garista is the one behind the murders and that he has an accomplice. The first victim was a powerless councilor, and the second victim was Alexei's lieutenant, who I suppose was able to hold his own in battle pretty well, right?" the Demon began in a thoughtful tone.
Flynn nodded, waiting silently for Yuri to continue.
"Then that can only mean that the one doing the dirty job is someone of a lieutenant rank or higher. Or at least, that person is strong enough to beat a lieutenant, which is surely not something a common knight can do," Yuri concluded.
Flynn's forehead creased lightly as he pondered over Yuri's words.
"You're right. What's more, I know that Alexei's lieutenant was very skilled. Not anyone could have taken him on. If we follow that line of thoughts, it would mean the prime suspects would be; Alexei, Duke, his lieutenant, Sodia, myself, and every Demon who are currently residing at the castle," Flynn said slowly.
Yuri's eyes creased in discontentment. "Yeah. I still can't forget about Yeager. He's really being suspicious since this whole mess started," he said.
Yuri sighed and he looked at Flynn with a hint of desperation shining in his onyx irises. "We have to do something, Flynn! There are already two deaths, and I'm pretty sure it won't stop there. And you saw the Angels' reaction yesterday, right? If this goes on…" he trailed on, knowing that Flynn would understand without the need to finish his sentence.
The peace will be destroyed.
Flynn made an annoyed sound, and Yuri knew it was not directed at him. His friend was surely annoyed at himself for feeling so powerless. The blue gaze was soon glued on his face.
"I know, but we haven't lost yet. We have a lot of free time on our hands, since we're locked up in here for the time being. Here's what we're going to do," Flynn said.
Yuri frowned, but he did not interrupt the Angel. The latter was staring at him with a serious edge to his eyes.
"We agree that the prime suspects are Garista, because of his history, and Yeager, because he is acting suspiciously. Then I suggest that we each spy on one of them the best we can. Hopefully, we'll be right and one of them will reveal himself as the killer one way or another. We might be able to stop the culprit from making another victim if we do that," the captain said.
Yuri let a small, weak smile decorate his lips as hope bloomed in his chest. "Okay, fine by me. How about I take care of Yeager and you of Garista?" Yuri suggested.
Flynn nodded. "Fine. We won't let the murderer get away with this," Flynn said with a burning conviction. Yuri agreed silently, his gaze reflecting the same conviction as his friend.
They would not let anyone destroy this peace they worked so hard to achieve.
From that moment forth, Yuri began to follow Yeager whenever he could. It was far from being an easy task. The captain was clever and well aware of his surroundings. It happened a couple of times that Yuri feared he was discovered, but each time, it seemed his fears were wrong since Yeager resumed his activities soon after.
What frustrated Yuri was that the Demon captain was not doing anything suspicious so far. When he was not in his room, the older Demon occupied his days mostly with training.
The only time when Yuri thought he had something was that one time when Yeager went to the aviary to deliver a letter. Yuri thought at first that there was something suspicious about the letter. The guard at the aviary asked to read the letter. Intercepting all the letters that entered and left the castle was a new precaution the Angels decided to take until the killer would be caught. However, there seemed to be nothing wrong with the letter since Yeager was authorized to send it.
Unfortunately, Flynn was not being successful either on his end. The captain told Yuri that Garista had not done anything remotely suspicious since he began to tail him. The councilor was spending most of his time in his room when he was not attending meetings at the council.
Yuri did not want to admit it, but his conviction that one of them was the killer was slowly growing thin with time. What if they were wrong? What if the killer was someone else, someone they had no clue about? It was so frustrating to know they had no lead whatsoever!
One week passed since the death of Alexei's lieutenant. Yuri knew he would not be able to bear another week like that, trapped in the castle. The tension between the Angels and the Demons was quickly growing stronger with each passing day. Yuri was getting tired of hearing whispers behind his back as he was walking down the hallways.
The rumor that the lieutenant's body was found in his room had traveled fast and not everyone was as lenient as Alexei had been towards him. Yuri just wished this mess would end soon and for everything to go back to normal.
Being as stubborn as he was, the young Demon kept on tailing Yeager. He refused to give up so soon. That evening, Yuri was following the captain as the latter walked back towards the guests' quarters after spending some time in the training grounds.
The young Demon had noticed some time ago that this was a sort of routine for the captain. Yeager was always doing some training before calling it a day. Because of that, Yuri was expecting Yeager to go back to his quarters. He was really surprised when the captain passed in front of his room and kept walking forward.
Intrigued, Yuri kept on discreetly following Yeager at a distance. Soon, the captain left the guests' quarters and continued walking down the castle's hallways. Yuri's heart began to beat faster in his chest at the idea that he might discover something relating to the murders.
Yeager guided him to an empty hallway in an area of the castle that Yuri never went to. Just as the young Demon wondered when the captain would finally arrive at destination, the latter stopped in front of a closed door. Yuri stayed hidden behind the corner of the hallway and threw a discreet look at Yeager. The older Demon opened the door and slipped inside the room.
Yuri waited there for a moment, his heart beating even faster now. He was waiting to see if Yeager would come out of the room. A long time stretched on and the captain never got out. Yuri decided to check on him. He silently made his way to the room in which Yeager disappeared.
When he was close enough, the young Demon noticed the door was cracked open. Yuri walked along the wall and approached the door. When he was just besides it, he stilled his breathing and listened to any sounds coming from the room.
When he heard nothing, Yuri decided to have a peek inside. He carefully moved closer to the door in order to look inside. Before he even had the time to do so, a hand shot out of the room and grabbed the collar of Yuri's shirt, roughly pulling him into the room. The next thing Yuri knew, his back was harshly pushed against a wall and the coldness of a blade was pressed against his neck.
Yuri's eyes widened in surprise and he looked up at Yeager's smirking face, only a few inches away from him. The captain's smirk turned awfully devious.
"Caught you, my little imp. So you're the rat who's been following me around," Yeager slurred in a tone that sent dark shivers of fear down Yuri's spine.
Yuri hid this fear he felt towards that unpredictable and cruel man.
"Oh, my bad. You weren't supposed to find out about that," he joked out of practice.
It earned him a scary laugh. "Ohoh, you're a funny one. What should I do with you, um?" Yeager said in an amused tone.
Yuri did not dare move as the blade was still pressed against his throat. He looked to the side and pulled a bored expression.
"Well, you could just release me, you know. It'd save you the trouble to think about it," he suggested.
As a response, Yeager pushed the blade further against his prey's throat and Yuri felt his skin break and blood roll down his throat. An amused and frightening glint appeared in the captain's eyes.
"That wouldn't be fun now, would it? Still, you're lucky to be Ryuku-taishou's son," he whispered darkly.
Yuri stayed silent, his mood darkening at the mention of his father.
Yeager leaned in to whisper against Yuri's ear; "If you weren't, I would take my sweet time with you. I would cut you up slowly into little pieces and I would enjoy your lovely screams of pain. I wouldn't end your suffering even if you begged me for it. I would kill you slowly, not even letting you pass out from the pain."
Yuri's breath quickened with every word that was uttered from Yeager. He realized he feared that man; he feared what Yeager's madness could bring if he ever wished for it. Was he insane, thinking he could go against Yeager? That man seemed even crueler than his father!
Yeager pulled away and his lips stretched into a predatory smile. The captain stared a moment at Yuri, madness shining clearly in his eyes. After what felt like an eternity, he pulled the bloodstained blade away from the young Demon's throat and brought it to his lips. Yuri could only stare in disgust at the captain as he did so.
Soon, Yeager looked at him once more and his hand shot towards Yuri. The latter unconsciously backed away against the wall. A scary chuckle escaped the older man's throat when his fingers brushed Yuri's wound. When he pulled them back, he licked the blood off of his fingers.
"Hum, such sweetness. It makes me want to devour you whole," he whispered darkly.
Yuri instinctively brought his hand to his hip, only to realize he had forgotten to bring his sword with him. He wanted to curse himself for his own carelessness. His movement did not go unnoticed by Yeager and it amused him.
"Don't worry, I'm going to let you go this time, but I don't guarantee what will happen to you if I catch you following me again," he said with amusement.
Without letting Yuri time to react in any way, Yeager backed away from the young Demon and walked to the door. Just before he left, he turned to look one last time at Yuri, who was still frozen in place.
"One more thing, my little imp; you should stop wasting your time with me. While you do, the real killer is running free right now," he said mysteriously.
Yuri finally snapped out of his stunned state. He frowned at the captain, forgetting his fear of the man for a moment.
"What do you mean? Do you know who the killer is? And why should I believe you?!" he asked, his voice full of doubts.
Yeager's smile widened, showing his teeth in a carnivorous snarl.
"Believe me if you want, my little imp. I do know who's responsible. Just so you know, I wouldn't waste my time in killing small fry like that. I prefer watching from the side while everyone struggle so desperately. It's quite amusing," Yeager answered and laughed before finally leaving the room.
Yuri stayed frozen in place for a long moment, taking in the captain's words. Could he really trust Yeager? The older Demon could just have been hoping to throw him off the scent… Maybe he was hoping for Yuri to stop following him, so he could make more victims. What should he do? What should he believe? Yuri shook his head, regaining control of himself. He could not let Yeager mess with his head like that. He needed to get a hold of himself.
Yuri sighed at length and it seemed to make some of his tension disappear. He finally found it in him to move and he left the room too. Yuri walked back the way he came, deeply lost in thoughts about Yeager's words.
Once he was back in the guests' quarters, Yuri was so distracted that he almost did not hear the angry voices shouting from further ahead. He lifted his eyes and saw Schwann and Ryuku in the hallway, being yelled at by a crowd of Angels. Seeing the expression of pure hatred and anger that was plastered on his father's face, it was not hard for Yuri to know things would get very bad soon.
Schwann was obviously trying to rein in Ryuku's anger; he was grabbing the general's arm and talking to him with a pleading expression.
When Yuri approached, some of the Angels turned their hateful eyes on him. It brought Schwann's attention on him too.
"Yuri, don't stay there! Go to your room!" he exclaimed.
Yuri was about to ask Schwann what was going on when he saw two figures make their way through the mob of angry Angels: Flynn and Duke. The two leading figures stopped between the crowd of furious Angels and the Demons, shielding the latter.
"Stop, that's enough! Everyone, return to your rooms and calm down!" Flynn exclaimed, trying to bring peace back.
One of the Angels, a member of the council, made a step forward. "These filthy Demons have made another victim! Why are you protecting them?! They deserve to die!" he exclaimed with fury.
Yuri's heart sank in his chest at the news. There was a third victim?! When did it happen? And who was killed? Wait… if the victim had just been killed, then that meant the killer was not Yeager! Yuri had been tailing him all day and the captain never slipped from his view! Yuri also doubted Yeager would be the kind to hire someone to do the job for him. But was it enough to clear him of all doubts? As these questions reeled in his mind, Yuri saw Flynn put a hand on the handle of his sword in a threatening gesture.
"I said to go back to your rooms! Nothing will be decided until we get to the bottom of this investigation! Until then, no one is to try anything on our guests!" the young Captain exclaimed, his voice strained and tired.
Ryuku's features darkened with anger and he shook Schwann off him. He quickly walked to Flynn and pushed him roughly aside, glaring at the surprised captain.
"Back down, Scifo-taii. I don't need your protection! If those Angels want a piece of me, I'll gladly give them what they want," the general seethed through his teeth in a dangerous threat.
Yuri was not surprised to see some of the Angels – the majority of them were councilors and nobles – back away in fear. Flynn frowned in distaste and was about to reply something when Schwann beat him to it.
"Ryuku-taishou, stop!" the captain exclaimed pleadingly as he took a few steps towards his superior.
Schwann understood clearly the gravity of the situation. Ryuku was only adding fuel to the fire. Duke turned his red, severe irises towards the general and stared at him with his usual undecipherable expression.
"I kindly suggest that you follow your captain's advice, General. You are guests here and you will be treated as such as long as you do not go against our people," he said in a calm, expressionless tone.
Ryuku turned his deathly glare on the white haired Angel, but Duke seemed unaffected by it.
"Are you threatening me?" Ryuku said in a dry and seething tone.
Yuri watched the silent exchange with apprehension. He knew his father was on the verge of exploding and they had to stop it before it happened. Flynn understood that too since he placed himself between Duke and Ryuku.
"Everyone, st – " His voice was cut out by someone else, coming towards them in the hallway, accompanied by two guards: King William.
"What's going on here?" the king exclaimed in a strong and dissatisfied tone.
Everyone grew silent when they felt the foul mood of the sovereign. The crowd pulled apart to let the king pass. He stopped in front of the bickering trio. Flynn bowed deeply in front of the king.
"King William! I am very sorry for the commotion," he said.
William made a curt sign of his head, indication for Flynn to straighten up and he did so, still unable to look the king in the eye.
Yuri looked silently at the scene from apart. He watched as William sighed tiredly, his gaze traveling from Flynn to Duke, Ryuku, and to the crowd assembled in the hallway.
"I've been informed of the latest event, but that's no reason to see you all at each other's throats!" he exclaimed with annoyance.
Flynn still ashamedly avoided his king's gaze. Instead, he met Yuri's gaze for the first time since he arrived. Yuri saw the silent message in the Angel's eyes: Flynn needed to talk to him later. He surely wanted to inform him of the last murder.
William's voice made Yuri's attention return on him. "Everyone, return to your rooms! You'll be informed of the situation later on! Captain Duke and Captain Flynn, please follow me. I need to discuss the matter of the last murder with you," he said on a dry tone.
Yuri had no trouble guessing the whole mess was beginning to affect the king's normally good mood. Yuri looked at Flynn and saw slight disappointment and resignation on his friend's face, but the Angel nodded his agreement, imitated by Duke. It seemed their discussion would have to wait.
As soon as those words left the king's lips, the Angels reluctantly began to disperse, walking towards their respective quarters. Flynn threw a last glance at Yuri, and the insistence of his gaze told the Demon that he would try to talk to him as soon as he could. Yuri watched his friend leave in company of Duke and the king. As he did so, he saw a glimpse of long blonde hair disappear around the corner of a hallway further away. Yuri knew only one man who had such long hair of this color: Garista.
So he had been part of that crowd badmouthing them; it was no surprise. Yuri frowned as he suddenly noticed a detail; the hallway Garista had just disappeared into was not leading towards the councilors' quarters. He should have been going there like the king ordered. Where was he going then? Yuri did not think twice about quickly starting in the direction Garista took off, ignoring Schwann's calls of his name. Yuri had no time to waste; he had to see where the councilor was going.
He made it to the hallway Garista had disappeared into and turned the corner, just in time to see the councilor disappear at the other hand of the hallway. Yuri quickly, but silently walked down the hallway and made it to where Garista disappeared. He threw a quick look around the corner and saw Garista walking ahead, oblivious that he was being followed.
Yuri frowned, wondering where he was going. The Demon kept on tracking the suspicious man, glad that there were no guards in the hallways. They had surely been attracted to the place where the third body was found, whoever that may be.
Yuri kept following Garista for a long moment. The councilor guided him to a completely remote area of the castle, one in which Yuri only went one time; it was where the dungeons where located. Yuri felt a shiver run down his spine at the memory of the torture he had endured back then, in that cold and silent cell in the dungeons. The Demon quickly got a hold of himself, though. He could not lose Garista's track now. He needed to focus on the task at hand.
A few minutes later, Yuri had to stop in his tracks and hide at the turn of a hallway as Garista stopped in front of a door. The councilor looked around to make sure no one was there before opening the door and disappearing inside. Only when Yuri heard the sound of the door closing behind Garista did he come out of hiding.
The Demon quickly went to the door and froze when he realized where it was leading; because he knew where. The dungeons. The very same place where this bastard tortured him for the fun of it. It was clear now that Garista had something to hide since he could not possibly have any business there. Yuri would get to the bottom of this.
He carefully opened the door, making sure to be as quiet as possible. The Demon slipped inside once the opening was big enough. He was met by the familiar steps leading to the cold cells. He carefully closed the metal door and walked down the stairs. His sight was met by the cold, empty cells. Where was Garista? He could not see him from where he was.
Yuri finished climbing down the stairs. He slowly and carefully walked forward, making sure that his feet were not making any sounds against the stone floor. Yuri went past several empty cells, looking all around and trying to spot the councilor. He avoided looking at the particular cell he had been kept in before.
The more he walked, the more Yuri wondered where Garista was hidden. He was sure he saw him enter the dungeons, but he was nowhere to be seen… Just when he was wondering about it, Yuri heard a faint sound. Curious, he walked in that direction. He passed in front of several other cells when suddenly, on his left, it gave way to a small hallway with a door at the far end.
The door was closed, but Yuri could hear faint sounds coming from the other side of it. It was surely leading to a room reserved for the jailers. Without an ounce of hesitation, Yuri silently made it to the door. Once there, he glued his ear to the wooden door.
At first, he could not discern what the sounds were but soon enough, he realized it was voices. He concentrated on them and he could soon catch glimpses of the conversation.
"… the brat? Is he still following you around?" a voice Yuri did not recognize reached his ears.
Still, it sounded somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it before, but the Demon could not put his finger on its owner's identity.
"… op worrying. He's … king right now. That impertinent captain thinks … I'll show him."
Yuri recognized that second voice; it was Garista's. The Demon frowned, quickly making work of the words he just heard. It was clear they were talking about Flynn. So the councilor knew his friend was tailing him? He was not as dumb as he seemed, then.
"So how's … right now? Are they fighting each other now?" the unknown voice asked.
Yuri pressed his ear even more against the door, not wanting to lose any part of the conversation. The Demon thought he heard a sigh of annoyance.
"No. The king… bring things back under control. Without him there, I'm… the general would have busted a couple of heads," Garista said in an annoyed tone.
Yuri felt rage built up inside him at that. So he was right! Garista was the one who planned the murders and he wanted to destroy the peace! He sure as hell almost succeeded; his father had been ready to kill those Angels. Without the arrival of William, it might have happened. That sly bastard!
The unknown voice pulled Yuri out of his fuming thoughts.
"Told you so. The king's too soft. He won't let the peace be destroyed that easily."
A loud sound resounded; the sound of someone banging their hands on a hard surface.
"Then what?! What do you suggest we do? If those three sacrifices were not enough, I don't see who will!" the councilor exclaimed.
Yuri almost smiled, even though the situation was not funny in the least. It was rare for the councilor to lose his calm so much and it was satisfying.
His faint amusement disappeared quickly at the next words he heard, pronounced in a dark and thrilled tone; "Then let's aim higher."
Higher? What did he mean? Surely it was not what he was thinking… A moment of silence followed, but it was soon broken by a chuckle.
"Flynn Scifo, huh? So you still hold a grudge against him? How interesting," Garista answered.
Yuri gasped and quickly put a hand over his mouth, praying that they did not hear him. The Demon turned around and leaned his back against the door, his eyes widening in shock. The next victim would be Flynn?! How dare he… how dare they think about killing Flynn?! Yuri's body shook in anger and he barely stopped himself from barging into the room. It would be too reckless, even for him. Yuri had no idea who was in that room with Garista; they might even be more than two in there, for all he knew.
The Demon tried to calm himself. He needed to hear more. Maybe… maybe they would give information that would help Yuri stop them before it was too late! Yuri pressed his ear against the door again, but it was already too late. They were talking too quietly now and he could not make out what they were saying anymore. The Demon pushed away from the door and quickly retraced his steps, his thoughts rolling frantically in his mind.
Those bastards! Yuri would not let them lay a single finger on his friend! What should he do? Should he tell Flynn about it? But even if he did, there was no guarantee that something would be done against Garista and his mysterious accomplice before they attacked his friend.
Furthermore, they still lacked proofs against the councilor! Would his overhearing the conversation enough to incriminate him? Yuri doubted it. And even if it did, he had no clue about the accomplice's identity and by the time Garista talked, it might be too late to save Flynn. Yuri could not take that chance. What were his options, then?
While the Demon's mind was still furiously debating, his heart was slowly making the choice for him.
Yuri was sitting on the windowsill of his new bedroom, his gray eyes looking through the slightly opened window. It was dark outside and Yuri could barely make out the shapes of the guards patrolling outside of the castle. He was lost in his thoughts, those same thoughts that prevented him from finding sleep despite the late hour.
The young Demon was so distracted that he did not even hear the soft knocking at his door. The second time, the knocking was more insistent and the Demon finally heard it. He turned his face towards the door and frowned.
"Come in," he said.
The door opened and Flynn slipped his head inside the opening. Yuri was not surprised that his friend was coming to see him at such an hour. They did not have a chance to talk yet about the murder earlier that evening.
"You weren't sleeping?" Flynn noted quietly.
Yuri shook his head. "No. I couldn't find sleep," he answered evasively.
Flynn slipped inside the room and closed the door behind him. The captain went to sit on Yuri's bed, which was just besides the window where Yuri sat. The Angel smiled apologetically at his friend.
"Sorry to come this late. King William just released us," the Angel said.
Yuri studied Flynn's face and he could how tired he was. He knew it was about time those murders ceased, because it was clear that Flynn was at the end of his rope, much like everyone else in the castle.
Yuri shook his head. "That's fine. So, who's been killed this time?" the Demon asked, even though the victim's identity was the least of his worries right now. His thoughts were elsewhere.
"It was a noble this time. It seems your theory that the killer wants to jeopardize the peace was true," the Angel said while he rubbed his tired eyes.
Yuri frowned at his friend. "How so?" he asked, confused.
Flynn's tired blue gaze bore into Yuri's. "That noble had been donating funds for the reconstruction of the border villages. It seems he was for the peace between our two countries. I also heard that Alexei's lieutenant was in favor of the peace too, so that makes three in three," he said.
Yuri turned his gaze back towards the window. His eyes darkened, but Flynn did not see it.
"And I guess there wasn't anything leading to the killer this time either, huh?" he asked in a dry tone.
Flynn frowned. "I'm afraid not. Yuri, is something wrong?" the Angel asked gently, a worried edge to his tone.
Yuri stubbornly kept his gaze away from his friend, not wanting to let Flynn in on his thoughts.
"Everything's fine," he said, a bit more harshly than he intended.
The Demon thought Flynn would drop the subject, but that was without taking into account his friend's stubbornness. Flynn reached over and grabbed Yuri's arm, making the gray eyes finally bear into his determined blue gaze.
"Don't give me that, Yuri! Stop trying to hide things from me! What's wrong?" he asked again, this time making it clear that he would not drop the subject.
Yuri could not tell his friend, though. At least, not about that. That was what pushed him to reveal something else, hoping it would lead his friend astray.
"It's about Yeager. He's not the killer," Yuri said, avoiding Flynn's eyes.
The Angel released his arm and tried to meet the Demon's gaze. "How can you be sure about that?" he asked.
Yuri sighed. "When did the last body been discovered?" the Demon asked out of the blue.
Flynn was quick to answer; "Just before I and Duke came to stop the altercation with your father."
Yuri's gaze met Flynn's once more. "And was that noble dead for a long time?" Yuri asked.
Flynn shook his head. "No. I'd say not more than an hour. Why are you asking about all this?" Flynn inquired.
Yuri sighed tiredly. "Because it means Yeager is innocent. I've been tailing him all day. He's not the killer," he stated calmly.
Of course, he knew who was the real killer; or at least, one of them. Yuri had thought long about it and decided not to tell Flynn about what he heard earlier in the dungeons. He would be the one to protect him this time, and he did not want Flynn to do anything that could stain his reputation.
Yuri was no fool. He knew that Garista would do everything necessary in order to bring about Flynn's downfall if the latter dared to accuse him of something, and surely his accomplice was thinking the same thing. For these reasons, the Demon decided to keep his friend in the dark. He would take the chance of Flynn losing what he had now. It was too important to be put at risk.
Flynn's voice pulled Yuri out of his thoughts. "Still, how can you be sure Yeager was not involved in the murders? Like we said about Garista, he might have an accomplice," the Angel said.
Yuri shook his head. "I doubt it. I don't see him like the type of man to let other people do the dirty job for him. He likes to kill too much for that. And besides, he told me point blank that I was wasting my time following him since he isn't the killer. Strangely enough, I believe him," Yuri said with a hint of tiredness.
Flynn frowned at his words. "What do you mean, he told you? He knows you've been following him? What happened with him?" Flynn inquired, worry gleaming in his eyes.
Yuri sighed and closed his eyes. "Look, Flynn. Can we talk about that another time? I'm tired," he said rather briskly.
The truth was that Yuri wanted to stop talking about the subject for he did not want to take the chance to slip and tell Flynn what he knew. He could not let him get involved in this. Yuri opened his eyes again and chanced a look at Flynn. Hurt was shining in the Angel's eyes and it twisted Yuri's heart to see that. Flynn rose from the bed and it was obvious he was trying to hide the pain he felt.
"I see. I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll see you tomorrow," the Angel said quickly before turning around.
Yuri acted without thinking things through. All he knew was that he did not want to let Flynn go looking this hurt. The Demon quickly reached over to his friend and grabbed the end of his shirt, stopping him in his movement. When he felt the weight of a gaze on him, Yuri lowered his head and let his bangs cover his face.
"Yuri?" his friend's voice reached him in a mix of confusion and worry.
"Stay, please," Yuri whispered pleadingly.
It was rare of him to beg for anything, but he really did not want his friend to go. If he stayed, then Yuri could keep an eye on him and make sure that Garista would not try anything on him until the Demon would have taken care of him.
Yuri finally lifted his gaze back on his friend's face, showing to Flynn that he was serious about his demand. Flynn seemed destabilized by what he saw in the gray eyes. After a short moment, the Angel nodded.
"O-okay," he said before sitting back down on Yuri's bed.
The latter was relieved that Flynn accepted to stay. He would not have to worry about him for the time being. Tomorrow night, Yuri would strike, and Garista would pay.
He would make him regret even thinking about hurting his precious friend.
Garista was sitting at his desk in his bedroom, writing a report following the daily meeting of the council. The only sound in the room was the one of the quill scratching quickly against the paper. That silence was the reason the councilor was startled when he heard a knock at his door. His nose scrunched in displeasure, not happy to be disturbed, especially this late in the evening. Garista put his quill down on the desk and stood up.
He went to the door and carefully opened it. His eyes widened with fright when he saw who was on the other side. Garista tried to close the door, but he did not make it in time. One of his visitor's hands shot out towards him and covered his mouth to stop him from screaming.
Garista was harshly pushed into the room and the door was closed. The councilor's back collided none too gently against the wall and he glared at the stoic face of one Yuri Lowell. However, his glare did not hide the fear he was feeling at the sight of the Demon's dark, murderous expression.
Yuri could feel the fear coming out of the councilor in waves and it deeply satisfied him. He leaned closer to that hated face while he slowly drew his katana from his scabbard.
"If you scream for help, I promise you'll be in a world of pain. Do you understand me?" Yuri whispered darkly, lifting his weapon in the air enough so that the councilor could see it.
Garista kept on glaring at Yuri, but the way his body grew slightly limp told the Demon that he would listen. Yuri removed his hand from the Angel's mouth.
"Now, I've got some questions that I need you to answer," Yuri said with an undecipherable expression.
Garista snarled at Yuri and his aristocratic features twisted into disgust.
"Don't think you'll get away with this, you lowlife scum! I'll bring the full weight of the council on you for daring pointing that sword at me!" he spat out with hatred.
Yuri's expressionless mask did not falter. With a quick movement, the Demon pierced the councilor's shoulder. He quickly muffled the scream of pain that followed with his hand. Yuri kept his sword pinned into the councilor's shoulder, watching with cold indifference as blood seeped from the wound and stained Garista's clothes.
"Don't get me wrong; you're not the one with the upper hand here. I won't even hesitate to kill you, so I suggest you do as I say," Yuri said in a harsh and cold tone.
Garista weakly nodded and Yuri removed his hand once more. The hatred present in the councilor's eyes was less vivid then before, replaced by a stronger fear.
"I overheard your conversation in the dungeons yesterday. Who were you talking too? Who's killing those Angels for you?" Yuri demanded.
Garista bit his lip in nervousness. "If I tell you, will you let me live?" he asked breathlessly.
The pain seemed to be too much for him. He had surely never gotten hurt in his entire life. He was the worst trash there was; the kind that watched other people suffer and that took delight in it. It was his turn to suffer. Yuri twisted the blade into the wound, taking care to cover his victim's mouth before he did so. Garista yelled again, the sound muffled by the Demon's hand. When Yuri removed it, the blonde was panting in pain.
"You've got me wrong here; you're not in any position to bargain. Now tell me, or else," the threat in his voice could not be more clear.
Garista's entire face crumbled into a fearful mask. "It's Barbos! Barbos is the one who killed those three Angels!" he admitted in a frightened tone.
Yuri froze for a moment as his memory recalled Barbos' identity. He was once a captain; the one Flynn had led to his downfall by revealing what sordid deeds he had been doing. So he wanted revenge. Yuri pinned Garista even more brutally against the wall as his furor took over him.
"So that's why your next victim is Flynn?! You bastards!" the Demon seethed. His body was shaking from anger at that point.
Garista got over his fear enough so that disgust returned to paint his features.
"Ah, that impertinent captain! He deserves to die even more than those other Angels! He dared go against me when he's nothing more than a filthy commoner!" the councilor said with disgust.
The expression that appeared on Yuri's face told him too late that he had breached a line he should not have. Yuri removed his sword only to stab it into Garista's arm instead. He dragged the sword down the councilor's arm, tearing at muscles and flesh. Screams of agony were torn from the councilor's throat, muffled by the Demon's hand.
Yuri snarled at the man he was torturing. "Don't you dare talk about him that way! Flynn's a better person than you could ever hope to become! You're the one who deserves a dog's death," he seethed with anger dripping from every word.
Yuri saw that Garista was on the verge of passing out. He removed his sword and shook the councilor's shoulder.
"Now tell me when Barbos plans on killing Flynn!" he demanded in a strong voice.
Garista's entire body shivered and he glared at Yuri, but it did not hold the same edge anymore.
"I… don't know," he whispered with pain.
Fear reappeared in his eyes when he saw Yuri lift his weapon again.
"It-it's the truth! He never tells me when he strikes! I'm not lying!" Garista said with a frightened and pleading voice.
Yuri knew he was not lying, by the way that man full of pride was almost begging him. The Demon's gaze darkened.
"Then tell me where he hid the weapon he used to kill the Angels!"
Garista did not think twice about answering this time. He was surely too much in a world of pain.
"In an abandoned warehouse near the kitchens on the first floor! It's in the first hallway on the right near the entrance of the castle," he said breathlessly.
Yuri had learned enough. Even if he did not know when Barbos would strike, he knew there was a big chance it might be tonight. The Demon was sure Barbos could not wait to get rid of Flynn. He had to hurry to the warehouse and catch him before he had the time to grab the sword and go after his friend. With that in mind, Yuri's gaze hardened and he tightened his grip on his weapon. It did not go unnoticed to Garista. He began to struggle against his aggressor's hold.
"No, don't kill me! I told you everything I know! Please, let me go!" he exclaimed with terror lacing his words.
Yuri was completely impermeable in front of Garista's pleads.
"I can't let you go. Scum like you will always do the same thing over and over again. You'll keep on hurting others. I can't let you," he said darkly.
Garista stopped struggling and his face turned white as a ghost as he stared into the void, dark abyss of Yuri's eyes.
He was looking into death's gaze.
"No…" he pleaded softly.
Anger flared into Yuri's eyes again. "You could torture me all you want; I wouldn't care. I resented you for it, but I would have let you live. That all changed yesterday. You made a grave mistake; you targeted Flynn, and that I can't forgive. Anyone who tries to kill Flynn will meet my blade. I will protect him, even if it means becoming a devil," Yuri said in a tone dripping with anger and cold resignation.
In the moment that followed, it seemed like Garista was seeing him as he described himself; a devil. His face morphed into a mask of pure terror. A second later, Yuri stabbed his heart in a quick and effective movement.
Garista did not scream; the blood that filled his mouth prevented him to do so. He made a gurgling sound and blood rolled down his chin. His eyes, widened in fear and pain, were glued to Yuri's face; to the face of the one who was ending his life. Yuri held that gaze with a cold indifference. Yuri pulled back his sword and Garista sagged against the wall like a broken doll.
"See you in hell," Yuri said in a cold, ruthless tone.
The councilor's body twitched several times before finally stopping. Garista's eyes grew lifeless as death claimed him into its clutches. Yuri looked at the corpse of the councilor without a hint of remorse. He felt nothing right now except a deep rage and the need to get revenge. He knew he was doing the right thing. Yuri knew there was no other way to end this once and for all.
He would follow that path until the end. He would do what Flynn could not; he would be the shadow of his light, the one who ruthlessly stroke from the darkness to bring retribution.
Barbos could barely contain his excitement as he walked down the empty hallway leading to the warehouse. Tonight, he would finally get his revenge against that brat Flynn Scifo. He would make him pay for the humiliation he put him through. Scifo would regret ever having gone against him. Barbos would even kill two birds with one stone.
By getting rid of Scifo, he would surely put a definite end to the peace. The brat was the very symbol of the peace. Without him there, it would never have happened. By making a martyr out of Scifo and putting the blame on the Demons, the situation would surely quickly degenerate. The fallen captain could not wait to get rid of those disgusting Demons.
Barbos arrived in front of the warehouse. He made sure no one was around – which was usually the case at this hour of the night, since the hallway only served for the kitchens – before opening the door and entering the warehouse. Since Barbos's senses were sharp, he immediately sensed he was not alone in the room.
The warehouse was plunged into darkness, so he could not see them, but he felt their presence. He was no fool either. Barbos understood a rat had discovered what he had been up to until now. Or was it Garista who had sold him out? It would not be surprising.
"Who's there? Show yourself, you little rat!" the ex-captain roared with his hoarse voice.
Silence answered him at first. Then, a voice rose from the darkness, a calm and dark voice.
"As if I would be hiding."
Barbos creased his eyes maliciously. Instead of replying, he extended his valid hand to his right and found the oil lamp that he had left there. He lighted it up, making the darkness recede and lighting the room with a faint, orange light. A malicious smile stretched across the scarred man's lips at the sight of the intruder. Right in front of him, Yuri Lowell was sitting crossed-legged on top of a pile of boxes.
The light was making shadows dance on the Demon's face, darkening his traits and giving him a menacing appearance. On his lap was resting the katana Barbos had used to kill the Angels. So the Demon had been here for a while, if he managed to find the weapon he had skillfully hid in there.
Yuri lifted the katana in the air.
"Was this what you were coming here for? You bastard, how dare you kill innocents and try to pin their murders on us Demons!" Yuri seethed in anger.
Barbos laughed evilly as he put his valid hand on the handle of his huge sword.
"So you found out, huh. I bet it's that bastard Garista who sold me out. Am I right?" he asked, not caring at all that he denounced the councilor.
Yuri snorted in disgust and he put the katana down at his side.
"He deserved what was coming at him, and now it's your turn. I won't let anyone lay a hand on Flynn," the Demon said in a cold tone as he stared at his adversary.
Barbos's deranged smile widened. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards Yuri's face.
"And what d'you intend to do about that? Kill me? I'm afraid you're a hundred years too early for that, boy," Barbos said with amusement.
A second later, the ex-captain was running towards the pile of boxes Yuri was sitting on. With a swipe of his huge sword, he destroyed the boxes, trying to make Yuri fall from his perch. However, the Demon was quick on his feet. He jumped down from his place and gracefully landed on his feet.
The boxes crashed down, making a loud noise. Yuri was glad they were in a remote and deserted hallway. Still, he had to end this the quicker he could and get away. The sounds of the battle would be bound to attract attention at some point.
Yuri unsheathed his own weapon just before Barbos' huge sword descended on him. Yuri ducked down to avoid the strike and he ran away, losing his opponent in the maze of boxes. The Demon knew he could not beat Barbos with strength alone; he had been a captain after all. He would have to use speed and craftiness to get the better of him. Yuri stopped behind some boxes, listening to any sounds that would indicate the Angel's position.
What he heard was the whistling of something quickly breaking the air. Yuri understood Barbos was attacking again. He quickly moved to the side, in time to see the boxes behind which he was hiding a second ago being sliced in half. Yuri quickly ran away again, but this time Barbos was on his heel.
"You're quick to get away, I'll give you that! But don't expect to run from me forever!" Barbos roared with fury.
Yuri outrun him and took solace behind another pile of crates. He quickly looked around, trying to spot something in this warehouse that he could use to his advantage. His eyes fell on a pile of flour bags. An idea bloomed in his mind.
Just then, his eyes widened when he heard a strange sound coming from behind the crate where he was hiding. When he understood what was going on, it was too late to avoid the hit. Barbos's sword came crashing down from above him and embedded itself deeply into Yuri's shoulder. If Yuri did not have the reflex to grab the sword and halt its course, Barbos would have torn his arm off.
The Demon cried out in pain. Clenching his teeth together, he removed the weapon from his flesh and quickly backed away in the opposite direction. The Demon's back collided with the bags of flour on the other side and his hand pressed against his wound, bleeding profusely.
Yuri watched as Barbos finished splitting the crates in two. The Angel stepped over the remains of the crates and advanced towards Yuri with a demented smile on his lips.
"Found you, little rat," he said hoarsely.
Yuri stayed motionless, watching as his enemy walked towards him. Only when Barbos was close enough did he finally move. The Demon quickly stabbed the closest bag of flour with his katana, ripping it open. Yuri took the bag and threw it towards Barbos. The Angel avoided it, but the flour escaped from the bag and into the air.
The Angel was blinded for a second by the powdery substance as it got in his eyes and he staggered backwards. Yuri took the opportunity. He quickly charged at his destabilized opponent, his katana aimed at the Angel's face. He would end it in one blow.
Barbos let his sword drop to the floor and put his hand in front of his face just in time. Yuri's sword sank into the flesh of the Angel's hand. His eyes widened as he realized the Angel had blocked his attack at the last second. Barbos groaned in pain. He closed his hand around the blade and pulled harshly on it, ripping it away from Yuri's hand.
The Angel then swept the mace replacing his hand towards the Demon's face. It collided harshly with the young man's jaw and Yuri was thrown to the ground, completely groggy by the strength of the blow.
Yuri spit out the blood that filled his mouth and tried to get back on his feet, but the blow had left him too stunned to do so. The Demon suddenly saw Barbos's shadow covering him.
"That was good thinking, brat. But not good enough!" The Angel roared with anger.
Before it was too late, Yuri quickly rolled to the side, avoiding at the last second the Angel's sword coming at him. The weapon stuck in the ground with a loud sound where Yuri had been a moment ago.
Ignoring the throbbing pain in his shoulder, Yuri quickly grabbed his wakizashi hanging at his waist. He plunged the short sword into the soft flesh right behind Barbos's knee. The Angel groaned in pain and fell to his knees. Yuri quickly stood up on his feet again, panting under the strain he just put his shoulder through. He could not rest, however. Yuri knew Barbos would be back on his feet soon.
The Demon frantically searched for his sword, but he did not find it. Instead, he spotted the katana Barbos had used to kill the three Angels lying on the ground not far from him. Yuri quickly picked it up and prepared himself to face the ex-captain head on. He had wounded him, and it would be to his advantage. Yuri was wounded too, but it would not prevent him to fight as he was ambidextrous. The Demon held his weapon with his valid arm.
Barbos was soon on his feet too. He glared angrily at Yuri.
"You fucking little brat! I'll teach you to mess with me!" the Angel roared as he charged at Yuri.
His wound did not seem to hinder him too much. Yuri stood his ground, determination flashing in his eyes. He had to end this now. They had been fighting for too long. A guard on patrol was bound to come soon and Yuri could not afford to still be here when it would happen. With that in mind, the Demon told himself that he had to end this fight in a couple of blows.
When the Angel was upon him, Yuri evaded the first attack by jumping to the side. He tried to close in on his enemy and land a fatal blow to his stomach, but Barbos was still quick. He slashed again at Yuri and the Demon avoided the hit by ducking down this time. He tried again to hit Barbos at a vital point, but the Angel blocked it with his sword.
Nothing the Demon was doing was in vain, though. Yuri was analyzing his enemy's movements, trying to find his weak spot. He kept avoiding the fatal attacks aimed at him, sensing the captain was beginning to get tired. Yuri was too, but his determination of killing that man before he had a chance to get to Flynn was giving him the strength he needed against a captain-class opponent.
Yuri avoided another swipe of the large sword and his eyes finally saw the other's weakness; it lied with Barbos' disabled hand. His responses were slower there. Yuri saw what he had to do. He would have only one chance and he better not miss it. He took his distance, readying an attack. He saw Barbos getting on the defensive, an annoyed look plastered on his scarred face. Yuri's expression turned harsher.
"This is the end," he said with conviction.
Barbos snorted in disgust. "I'd like to see you try! I'll rip you to pieces and bring your corpse to that damn Scifo!" he exclaimed.
Anger flashed inside Yuri's eyes, but instead of making him lose his cool, it made him even more calm and calculative. He had to do this; for Flynn. Yuri charged at the Angel. When he was close enough to Barbos, Yuri smirked coldly when he saw the Angel swing his sword down towards the ground, intending to cut him in half.
Yuri skillfully avoided the hit by jumping to the right. Like he predicted, Barbos tried to hit him with the mace that served for his hand. Yuri quickly stabbed the katana into the flesh of the Angel's forearm. The Demon left his weapon there. He grabbed his wakizashi and ducked under the wounded and now harmless arm, quickly getting behind the Angel.
Yuri viciously stabbed Barbos in the neck, just at the base of his head. He pushed the blade further and further until he heard the ex-captain let out a gurgling sound, unable to say anything as his throat was torn open. Yuri's gaze hardened and he leaned closer to Barbos' ear.
"It's over. It's time to pay for everything you did," Yuri said darkly.
He quickly pulled back his wakizashi and watched with indifference as Barbos fell on the ground. Surprisingly, the Angel still had some fight left in him, at least enough to weakly turn around on his back. Barbos's lips stretched into an ironic smile. It seemed he found the situation funny even though his body was wracked with spasms and life was leaving him in time with the blood spilling from his open throat.
Barbos's lips moved weakly, forming words that he could no longer say. Yuri did not want to know what he had to say, but it was too late. His mind formed the words he just saw on the bloodstained lips.
What does that make you now? You're no better than me.
Yuri's body stiffened. He knew the Angel was right. Tonight was the first time Yuri had killed willingly; he had chosen to kill, and he felt no remorse for it. He knew what he was now. He was a criminal. He had dirtied his hands for the peace, but most of all, for Flynn. He would never regret that, though.
Barbos's body shook and Yuri realized he was trying to laugh. The Demon's expression turned into disgust. Yuri pulled the katana out from the arm it was still embedded in. Then, without any hesitation, Yuri drove the weapon right into the Angel's heart. Soon, Barbos stopped moving as he drew his last breath, that infuriating smirk still stretching his lips. Yuri removed the weapon and stared a short moment at his second victim that night.
It was over now. Things would go back to normal and the peace would be preserved. Most of all, Flynn would be safe. Yuri did not care what would happen to him from this point on. Yuri's wound burned painfully and he clenched his bleeding shoulder. He had to take care of this wound first, before anything else. Yuri turned around and was about to walk towards the room's exit, but he froze in place and his eyes widened.
Someone was standing in the doorway, unmoving. The light made by the lamp at the side of the door made it easy for the Demon to see their features, and from the way those eyes staring at him were widened in horror and outrage, it was clear to Yuri that they had seen everything; or at least enough to understand what just happened.
The worst part was that Yuri knew that person. He did not see her often, but he would recognize those unusual violet eyes and that braided, light brown hair everywhere.
There stood Sodia, Flynn's second in command.
A/N: Oohh, another cliffhanger! We spoiled you too much with the last chapters, we had to make up for it XD
Yuri is in trouble, ain't he? What is going to happen to him? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out ;) (We're evil, aren't we? XD)
Rose: Yeah, that chapter was hard to write, what with the investigation and all. I had to make sure there wasn't any loose ends, especially for Saenda who will be writing the next one.
It was really interesting for me to write such a dark side of Yuri. I don't usually have occasions like that, so it was a lot of fun ^^
We hope you liked the chapter and we'd really like to receive your comments and reviews! It's always a pleasure to read you all! :)
By the way, Celice Chalphy made a drawing of Yuri a while ago and we always forgot to put the link here, so here it is finally! Thanks a lot for this wonderful drawing!
x-tidus-kisses. deviantart art/Yuri-for-Saenda-and-littlerosebud17-338188877 (remove the spaces and add "dot com slash" between "deviantart" and "art")
Rose: You can also find the link on my profile page ^^
This chapter was brought to you by ~
Disturbed - Animal
So, thanks everyone and see you next time!
Rose&Saenda