Chapter 2-10: Mirror Image/ Friendship

"{Furiously Scratched Out} Why do I write Master every single damn time I mean to write Survivor?! It is completely aggravating! I want to write Survivor and I instead write Master because apparently I am incapable to prevent stupidity from entering my hand! Survivor! Survivor! Survivor! Survivor! It is not that hard! Allow me a moment to calm myself.

"Nothing is more frustrating to me than self-failure! I cannot afford to make mistakes, no matter how small, when Survivor is relying upon me. There are plenty of allies to Survivor, and I allow them no pity, so I shall do the same to myself. Several have been told two weeks ago to come to Kawakami; the others are to provide support and aid to those in the city.

"Having them here without knowing who I am would have been risk to them and us: What if they confused me with Survivor? No, it is far more wise to tell them who I am; not only to prevent confusion, but to allow me their services. But, there is one that has caught my eye. She and Survivor were very close during his first year, and if anyone were to cause problems for me at an inappropriate time, it would be her. Hopefully, Master [writing stops here]"

-Devil's Journal, Latest Entry

"Mayucchi," Matsukaze says. "Where are we going?"

Mayuzumi Yukie, or Mayucchi to her friends, is walking down a street with her friend Matsukaze. "We're going to make some friends!" she energetically replies.

"So… we're just wandering aimlessly?" Matsukaze confirms bluntly.

Mayucchi stops walking and sighs heavily. "What do you think we should do Matsukaze?"

"Hmm," Matsukaze noisily thinks, "We could go train."

"B-But we've been training all month!" Mayucchi protests. "I'm sure that I'll be ready when Devil-san shows-"

"SHHHHH!" Matsukaze stops her. "You know what they say…" Matsukaze starts ominously. Mayucchi gulps, "Speak of the Devil…"

"And he shall appear!" a voice completes from above. Mayucchi instantly switches to her sword stance. The voice is coming from the direction of the sun, so she doesn't even try looking, instead focusing on finding his ki. But there is no ki like Devil-san's around her, she quickly changes her strategy.

She turns and slashes faster than even the most focused humans can see, stopping just before hitting Devil-san's neck. "As I thought, you well deserve your title," he had moved behind her.

She ignores him and simply explains herself, "You showed no ki, but that is impossible since all living things have at least some level of ki. So I instead searched for where there was an odd absence of ki. You weren't hiding yourself; you were absorbing all ki energy within a few feet of yourself."

He smiles, genuinely impressed, "Correct, I absorb ki and transform it into personal power. There was just one issue with your calculations."

"And that would be?"

He quickly grabs the blade with both of his hands, and turns it so the blade is facing him. "When you are dealing with someone like me, you should always use deadly force to fend them off."

"Mayucchi's not like you, buddy!" Matsukaze says. "She doesn't like hurting people!"

Devil-san looks at her, slightly confused, "I didn't hurt people because it was fun, but because that was what I thought was right. Why are you referring to yourself in third person now after referring to yourself in first person earlier?"

"Hey! You! I'm the one talking to you, buster!" Matsukaze says bravely.

"I know you're talking to me."

"Um…Matsukaze is the one talking to you…" Mayucchi explains.

"Sup!"

Devil-san looks straight at Mayucchi with concern. "Are you feeling sick: fever, chills, tiredness?" He gets closer to look directly into her eyes. Matsukaze protests loudly but Devil-san doesn't pay him any attention "No rapid eye movement, no bloodshot either, you look perfectly healthy," Devil-san presses his forehead against hers.

"WHOA! WAY TOO CLOSE! WAY TOO CLOSE! BACK OFF OF HER!" Matsukaze shouts as loud as he can.

Devil-san doesn't listen. "You don't feel too hot…your heart rate seems to be escalating, so your situational awareness isn't completely gone yet. Hmm…" Devil-san leans back and puts his hand on his chin while looking up. "Either A, you're acting odd on your own, or B, you have taken some sort of new drug that has little to no side effects. And seeing how you are a smart person the drug option isn't likely."

"Of course Mayucchi doesn't do drugs! What kind of person do you take her for?!"

Devil-san looks directly at her for a few moments, "Then again you desperately want friends, so you might have taken a new drug to appear popular among your peers."

"Okay. Mayucchi you should just walk away and leave this guy alone," Matsukaze advises.

Mayucchi disagrees, "But Matsukaze, I don't think it would be right to just leave him here like this since he's so concerned!" She looks at Devil-san, who is lost in thought. "Um…" she awkwardly starts. "D-Devil-san, you don't have to be this concerned. This is normal for me."

"It is…? Oh! Hahahah, I am sorry, Sword Saint Mayuzumi, this must be your 'Matsukazi act'!" He laughs.

Mayucchi laughs along, just a lot more quietly, while pondering what he called her. When Devil-san's laughing starts to die down, she asks him, "Why did you call me 'Sword Saint Mayuzumi?'"

"That is your title and name, is it not?"

"That's Mayucchi's father's name," Matsukaze corrects.

"I can see how that could cause some confusion…"

"You can call me Mayucchi…" she suggests.

"'Mayucchi' will not do," he declines as he continues to think. "Self-titles mean nothing to me…Saint."

"S-Saint?"

He nods, "An excellent title for you in my opinion; it matches your humble and kind personality well."

Mayucchi doesn't know what to say. "W-Well… I suppose it's alright."

"Good, I am glad you think so Saint," he says with a smile. "As for-"

Matsukaze interrupts, "Not so fast! I'm not going to just let that pass!"

Devil-san's face shows a slight annoyance but he humors Matsukaze, "What are you talking about?"

"Touching Mayucchi's forehead like that was wildly inappropriate!" he shouts. "Not to mention unnecessary with your skills!

"Is that not a way of showing one's concern for someone they respect?"

Mayucchi blushes and stiffens up. After a few seconds, she shakes her head wildly and explains, "T-T-T-T-T-T-T," or at least tries to.

Devil smiles, "Calm yourself Saint, and say what you are thinking."

Mayucchi takes a deep breath before talking, "That's how really close people act, like mothers and fathers, or lovers."

He gives a slightly surprised 'Huh'. "So I stepped past my station, my apologies, Saint. I did not intend to make you uncomfortable."

"Oh, uh…it's not that big a deal!" Mayucchi says, she's not used to being apologized to so much. "A-Anyway, why did you think that was a sign of respect?"

"I saw it in this book," he says while handing her a book pulled from out of nowhere

"The dirty, secret life of a teenage virgin?" she reads the title. It takes her a few moments before she connects the dots. "P-P-P-Porn?!" she shouts.

"I thought porn was less focused than this," he says without much care.

"W-Where did you get this?!"

"A punk who thought he could rob me with a mere gun," he answers. "I took several of his possessions from him as payment for his offense. You can have it if you want."

"What makes you think that this is appropriate to give to girls?!" Matsukaze asks loudly.

"'If you want' is what I said. If you do not want it I could not care less," he tells her bluntly. Somehow, that firm, no-care answer completely calms her back down. "Now then, I came to you to tell you that Survivor is looking for a student. The honor is being offered to you, should you want it."

She quickly shakes her head. "I want friends, so I have to decline… Sorry," she says while bowing slightly.

"Very well, but the offer remains open to you, at least until someone else accepts," he doesn't show the slightest hint of surprise. "But," he starts, "why would you prefer friends over power?"

"What do you mean?" she asks gingerly.

"Why do you want friends when you have such potential?" he asks.

"I want to be surrounded by people I care about that care about me too," she answers honestly. "I don't want to be alone like I was when I was growing up…" Devil-san listens to her intently. "While my Father was training me, I wasn't able to make any friends. The people I did meet and try to befriend were scared of me because of my skills and abilities. I was so lonely. I-I don't want to feel like that again, so I've resolved to get as many friends as I can! My goal right now is to get one hundred friends, but it's difficult for me…"

"…It must be a human thing," he says with a sigh.

"What so you mean by a human thing?! Who do think you are?!" Matsukaze reproaches him.

"In case you have not noticed, many people do not consider me among their kind. 'Monster', 'Demon', 'Evil Incarnate', I have been told that I am many things, but I have never been called 'Human'," He says an eerie tone, filled with neither anger nor sadness but merely fact. "If no human is willing to call me as one of their own, and I abandon my own humanity, then it is true that I am not human."

Mayucchi can't find any words to say. She's not even sure if that's depressing with his tone. Devil-san continues, "I have never longed for company, and especially not 'friends'. 'Friends', at best, would have just hindered me in reaching my goals. At worst they would have placed me in mortal danger."

"Devil-san…" Now Mayucchi's pretty sure it's depressing.

"However, I might be missing the point," he admits.

"Really?!" Mayucchi is nearly tearing up in happiness.

"There is hope after all!" Matsukaze says happily.

Devil-san looks away and seems to be thinking for a moment before turning back to Mayucchi. "I have a proposal, Saint."

"What is it?"

"There is someone here in Kawakami who I should meet. This person is a master of social interaction, apparently. If I take you to her, I am certain that she will be able to give you worthy tricks on how to make friends."

"A-Are you serious?! She can help me make friends?!" Mayucchi cries out in happiness.

"Wait a minute, Mayucchi!" Matsukaze brings her back down to earth. "Don't you know what happens when you make a deal with the Devil?"

"I already participated in one of your little 'Devil' jokes," Devil-san chides Matsukaze. "If you expect me to partake in another one you are incorrect."

"Whatever, what's the catch?" Matsukaze asks Devil-san rudely.

"I want to copy one of your techniques for Survivor to use," Devil gets right to it.

"Uh, come again?" Matsukaze asks in confusion.

"I am quite skilled in the Aura Arts, as you have no doubt guessed. One of the more hard-to-master abilities involves copying knowledge etched into another's spirit. Then I can present the knowledge to Survivor and he will quickly learn how to use the ability in his own way."

"That's impossible," Mayucchi words her disbelief.

"Hah! I have many more techniques that far surpass this one in terms of believability! Remember that I do not lie; if I say it can be done, I whole-heartedly believe it can be done," he says with a smile. "And if, on the odd chance, I fail at retrieving what I want, you have no negative consequences."

Mayucchi carefully thinks the offer over while Devil-san waits patiently with a grin still on his face. 'If he's right, and this person really can help me make friends, then I would be a lot closer to my goal. But he is asking me for knowledge on one of my father's techniques, which he will give to Mark-san… I'm pretty sure Mark-san will not abuse the technique or use it wrongly… But then again…'

"What do you get out of this Devil-san?"

"I wish to help Survivor, that is the primary reason. However, your talk about friends has gotten me intrigued," Devil-san crosses his arms and seems to thinking real hard about something before he speaks again. "Maybe it is time that I made a friend of my own, Saint."

"Huh?! You mean me?! You want me as your friend?!" Mayucchi is flabbergasted.

"Is the thought truly so repulsive?"

"No, no! I'm just surprised that you would want me as your friend. I'm sure there are others who are better than me."

"You are wrong. No one I know is more 'friend-worthy' than you."

Mayucchi can feel herself blushing. "Mayucchi!" Matsukaze shouts happily. "You made another friend, even if he is an egotistical, sociopathic perfectionist with a weird title fixation!"

"…I am pretty sure only half of that is true," Devil-san says, unruffled. "But I believe we are straying off topic, Saint. What about my proposal?"

"Oh, right. I guess I'm okay with this as long as you are sure that Mark-san won't misuse one of my family's techniques."

"I am quite sure that Survivor will use it properly."

Mayucchi and Devil-san sit down on the train to their destination. Surprisingly, they are alone in their car, and Mayucchi suspects that might have been her guide's doing. After all, they were alone when he appeared and no one showed up throughout their whole conversation. He probably has some sort of shield that somehow deters people from showing up. Mayucchi wonders how such a feat is possible.

Devil-san turns to her. "Saint, why are you staring at me with suspicion?"

"I was just wondering if you were keeping others away somehow."

"I might be putting up a barrier that prevents others from wanting to be inside it."

"You might be?" So Mayucchi was right in thinking it was Devil-san's doing. Something pops up in Mayucchi's head. "Wait, isn't that lying?"

"Isn't what lying?"

"You say that you might be putting up a barrier when you know you are. You are intentionally misleading me, even if it was a terrible attempt!"

"Ah, yes, I see what you are talking about," he says with a nod. "About twelve years ago I was told I was by an acquaintance that I was too…grim."

'Not a big surprise there,' Mayucchi thinks.

"Anyway, he said I need to have some way of talking without 'showing my hand'. I took that to heart as a serious problem, as I am fighting for honesty but sometimes I need to lead others into doing what I need, so after plenty of thought I came up with what I like to call the 'Chance Principal'. I utilize this method when casually speaking as practice for leading others without lying."

"So what is this 'Chance Principal'?"

"Simple really, if something is said as possibility, it is not lying."

"So when you say that you 'might be' doing something you are neither lying nor telling the truth so you are free to say what you want…"

"Precisely, I admit that I was uncomfortable with it at first, but I have gotten used to it after so much practice."

"But what you did was one hundred percent fact and yet you still proposed it as a possibility!"

"One hundred percent is still a number of chance, same as zero percent," he says confidently.

"That's…debatable…" Mayucchi says lightly.

"You're a hypocrite, aren't you?" Matsukaze says carelessly.

Devil-san's face becomes serious and dark at the word 'hypocrite'. "Careful Saint, I don't take kindly to being called… that."

Mayucchi's back stiffens up, "B-b-b-b-but that was Matsukaze speaking! R-right Matsukaze?"

"Er, no it must have been the wind or something, haha-"

"You should apologize, Matsukaze!" Mayucchi says desperately.

"Are you kidding? Look at him! If I admit it, which I'm not, then he will do something unspeakable to me!" he turns to Devil-san. "Right, you homicidal-"

Mayucchi quickly covers Matsukaze with her hand and gives an apologetic look at Devil-san. Devil-san sighs and shakes his head. "Back to the subject, I usually say 'might' or 'may' when I am trying to mislead someone with words, and I do not consider them lies."

"You know you what should do Mayucchi?" Matsukaze says from under Mayucchi's hand. "You should have him answer a question using this to make him seem less menacing!"

"Good idea, Matsukaze!" She turns to Devil-san and thinks of a quick question. "Ahem, hey Devil-san, have you ever killed anybody?"

He gives a quick reply, "I may have killed a few people here and there."

"Ack! It completely backfired!"

Devil-san smiles slyly at her outburst, and seems to come to a conclusion of some sort. "It would seem that you have a point about this 'friend' business, Saint." Mayucchi listens intently. "I am enjoying hanging out with you."

"Really?! That's great!" Mayucchi says happily as she mentally pats herself on the back. 'If I'm fun to be around then I'm yet another step closer to my goal!' she thinks. "So, Devil-san, if you don't mind me asking, where are we going exactly?"

Devil-san thinks for a bit. "I would think it better if you did not know what our destination is. However, I will be projecting a barrier around us so we are not recognized by those that are inconsequential to our goal."

"So you're going to make me invisible?"

"In a sense of the word, yes; people will see you and perhaps talk to you, but people you know will not."

"That's im…possible? Is this one of those abilities you were mentioning earlier? The ones that are far more unbelievable than the memory copying ability?"

"I did not have this trick in mind, but I suppose that it would be in that category."

"Ah well, I don't think it will matter if someone sees us."

Standing in front of the building that Devil-san and her are about to enter, she is relieved that he insisted on putting up the barrier. But relieved is just one of the many emotions she's feeling right now, looking at this building.

"A-are you sure this is the right place?" she ask for the fourth time in the increasingly slim chance Devil-san happened to be wrong.

"Absolutely."

"B-but Devil-san," she looks around and continues in a small voice. "This is a soapland!" She watches the entrance as men enter and leave. "I can't possibly go in there!"

"Firstly, I heard women go into these 'soaplands' as well as men, albeit in smaller numbers. Secondly, this is not a soapland, it is a strip club."

"That's not helping!"

"That is probably because it does not matter."

"Doesn't matter?! You don't get it! I. Can't. Go. In. There!"

"Hmph, you can and, if you want to get better and making friends, you will."

"Mayucchi can't go in there because she's a good girl!" Matsukaze explains.

"…Very well, if you are so adamant than I shall convince you in the best way I know how!"

"What are talking about?"

"You! At this crucial moment, this is about you and your future!"

"I don't-"

"No, you don't see it do you? Why are we doing this? Why are you doing this?"

"T-to be better at making friends," Mayucchi answers quickly and honestly.

"Correct. Now here we are, your goal is in your grasp and yet you are lacking the courage to merely take it! Tell me why you want to be better at making friends!"

"So I'm not alone anymore."

"And by not doing this you allow this fear of loneliness to creep ever closer! How many more opportunities will you get before your solitude is assured?"

"I don't know…"

"Exactly! You do not know because there might not be another chance! Why, this lone opportunity may be your only chance at having a socially rich life!"

"That… that may be true…but it's a soapland!"

"Strip club," Devil-san corrects before looking her over head to toe. "So you need more convincing? Very well, what of the friends you already have?"

"W-what about them?"

"I figured that someone with your desire to make friends would care more about the ones she made."

"I do!"

"And they care about you, too!" Mayucchi feels herself focus on Devil-san's words and they become clear, lucid even. "They want you to be better and better until you are at your best, and yet you are showing that you do not care what they want by not taking this opportunity! Many people say that being a friend brings happiness to others, I thought that this might be one of the reasons you wanted friends, or am I wrong?

"Listen to me, saint. You want this. You want to prove that you care for the friend you already have. This may be your only chance, so gather your courage. Face down your fear, you are not alone. This is why you are here."

Suddenly, Mayucchi comes back to her senses, standing in front of the strip club with Devil-san. She feels the wind and the sun on her skin. The doubt in her mind has disappeared, and everything looks clear, feels clear. 'This is what I want.' She steps forward with confidence. Devil gives a small smile before following her. She pushes the door aside and steps into the building. The inside of the building is colored in a reddish hue, with a comfortable looking booth on wall behind her left and right. A hallway leads to her right, and Mayucchi can barely hear men talking over music. To her left is a winding staircase to an open balcony facing the inside of the room. In front of her, a woman who looks to be around Mayucchi's age stands behind a wooden desk.

"Welcome to the Hero's Haven. May I help you, Miss, Sir?" she asks politely to Mayucchi and Devil.

Devil answers, "We are here to see Maitresse. I was told that this is her establishment."

"Oh, uhh," she opens up a notebook, and makes a show of looking through it. "I'm sorry, there's no one here named Maitresse who works here, let alone owns the place."

"You're lying," Devil says disapprovingly.

The woman makes a surprised face, before trying to cover up her tell. "N-No, I'm not. T-this book doesn't have her name in-"

"The entire book is blank," Devil says as he places his hand on her desk. "Let her know Devil is here to see her, with a guest."

"Urrr…" she shies away from Devil as she presses a button on a speaker before talking into it. "M-Ma'am, there's a man going by the name of Devil asking to see you."

A woman's voice answers, "Let him in."

"Up-Up the stairs, through the door," the nearly terrified woman tells him.

He moves and Mayucchi follows him. He knocks on the door twice before entering. A dim room, with a few shelves and a desk with a young woman behind lies inside. The woman looks older than Mayucchi, but looks beautiful and graceful, wearing a velvet black cloak over her right arm and a satin red dress. "Maitresse?" Devil asks.

The woman doesn't answer, but stands up and walks around the desk in front of Devil. She meets his gaze, without having to look up much. They stare at each other for several minutes, before she slaps him hard with her left hand. "What the fuck do you think you are doing? Intimidating my secretary! This is your idea of a good first impression!"

Devil doesn't seem bothered in the slightest, even with his cheek turning bright red. "Saint, meet Maitresse." Maitresse-sama looks at Devil angrily before bowing gracefully to Mayucchi. "Maitresse is a friend of Survivor."

"How are you, Miss Saint?" she asks charmingly.

Mayucchi is about to ask her to call her by her real name before Devil speaks. "Before you say anything, Saint, you should know that this room has several listening devices that are recording what you say. Plus there are a few cameras around this building, that's how she knew about what happened in the lobby."

"I see…" Mayucchi answers. Devil-san means to say that if she tells Maitresse-sama her name, then she's risking her privacy. "Nice to meet you Maitresse-sama, I'm Saint," she says while bowing courteously.

"I am truly sorry for this situation, but a woman in my profession must have 'insurance'," she turns back to Devil-san. "So you come to meet me and demand a favor is that it, Devil?"

"Yes, but this favor is beneficial solely for-"

"And this favor is to help this pretty young lady, is this correct?"

"You are correct, I-"

"If that's the case, you can go now." Devil-san nods slightly and leaves the room without a single pause. She frowns slightly. "Damn. He is a tough one, but then again, I would never doubt Mark."

"What are talking about, Maitresse-sama?" Mayucchi asks curiously.

"Devil. I can't get a read on him, and for the ten years I've been in this business that's never happened. He doesn't seem to have a weakness, an emotion to exploit."

"That's not true; on the way here he laughed, got annoyed, but mostly seemed happy."

"…Shit! He's good then. Really good," she says bitterly. "Never mind, though, let's refocus on you. What can I do to help you?"

"Devil-san said that you can help me by giving me tips on how to make friends."

"I don't follow you," she looks over Mayucchi very carefully. "This is how you usually are?"

"Um… Yeah, is that a problem?"

"Phew, I thought you were like this because you were in an awkward situation. Not because you arethe awkward in the situation."

Mayucchi looks down. "I guess you can't help me then."

"Haha, I can help you!" she says eagerly. "You're going to be a challenge, but I like that! Now then arms by your side." Excited at the thought of help, Mayucchi does what she asks. "No fists, leave your open hand free," Mayucchi releases the tension in her right hand, the one not holding her sword.

"Good!" Maitresse-sama approves. "You're looking better already. Okay, back straight; show your confidence. Good, now straighten your neck; if you don't it's telling others that you're not worth their time." She takes a step back, and looks at Mayucchi toe to head. "Alright, you look like a confident young woman. Now then, keep your face focused on the one you want to talk to; don't raise your nose or you will be saying that you're superior." Mayucchi looks at Maitresse-sama with her whole face.

Mayucchi smiles, "So how am I so far?"

"You're looking great! Okay now we're going to have to focus on the sex appeal."

"Wait, what?"

"When you see someone that you're interested in, lean in slightly, the further you lean in the more the desperate you seem." Mayucchi does as she's told, although she's starting to think she's further in than she intended to be. "Now, you're a slightly curious young woman, very nice. Keep your legs open just a bit… there you go, that'll drive men, and maybe a few women, crazy. Remember the placement of your limbs, you can turn your body and things will work just as well."

"Alright, that doesn't seem too hard."

"Nope, but the hard stuff is just starting," she smiles, somewhat sadistically.

"Mayucchi what have you gotten yourself into?" Matsukaze asks forebodingly.

4 hours later…

"Now remember what I taught you and you'll be getting the hearts of anybody you want. If you're still having trouble you can come back anytime!" Maitresse-sama calls out as Mayucchi leaves the building.

"I didn't know that this sort of thing was so painful and tiring," Mayucchi remarks in a tired voice to Matuskaze.

"I didn't even participate and I'm tired…"

Mayucchi sees Devil-san sitting down on the edge of a two story building. "So how was it, Saint? Did you gain some skills?"

"Probably too many…" Mayucchi mumbles.

"I did not hear you, Saint," Devil-san speaks before jumping down to ground level and landing effortlessly. "You look tired Saint. I would not have guessed it would ask so much effort of you."

"Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed either, but she works people pretty hard."

"Well it seems to have paid off; you appear different."

"Really?! So I look a lot less intimidating and creepy?!" she asks in the hopes of making this whole exercise worth it.

"I am not that receptive to social interactions, and I am never intimidated or 'creeped out', but I believe so," Devil-san replies.

"I'm just going to take that as a yes. All right! We did it, Matsukaze!"

"No," Devil-san interjects. "You alone did it."

Mayucchi feels herself blush. "Thanks, Devil-san… For all you did today," she says gratefully. 'Who would have thought that Devil-san makes a good friend?'

Devil-san nods. "What is the saying? 'Anything for a friend'?" He turns to her and places his hand on her shoulder while saying "I'll see you later, Saint," before vanishing.

"Well, Matsukaze? What do you think of Devil now?"

"Not saying, he could still be around here so it's not safe," Matsukaze says while looking around. "You do realize that he abandoned us in the middle of a shady part of town?"

Right at that moment, a taxi rolls up next to Mayucchi and stops. The driver rolls down the window before asking, "Are you Saint?"

Mayucchi turns and says happily, "Yes, my name is Saint."

Unseen, Devil watches Saint enter the taxi he paid to take her anywhere she wants. His face shows no emotion, but he feels happy, yet sad. He shakes his head and watches the taxi leave his view. He turns around and head to Survivor's house.

It does not take long for Devil to reach the house, given his superhuman speed and agility. He silently opens the door and makes his way inside. The lights are off and Devil senses his master alive and well in his room, sleeping lightly. Devil sits down on the couch and easily enters the mental plane, and then Survivor's realm. When he enters he sees his master writing down a few notes.

"Survivor," Devil speaks.

"Hey Devil. How was your day?" he inquires.

"Interesting, I have a present."

"Okay? What is it?"

"A memory; one that explains one of Saint's techniques," he pulls out a glowing orb from his body.

"Erm, 'Saint'?"

"Mayuzumi. As I said, it has been an interesting day," Devil feels slightly foolish for not explaining that.

Survivor looks at him for a few moments. "I can see that. So did you steal this memory?"

"No, she gave it willingly, after I did her a favor."

He contemplates for several seconds, in which time Devil walks forward and places the orb on the desk. "Is it right to just take this? This is a friend's hard-earned ability."

"You are not simply taking it, this is a copy of the original," Survivor thinks again while Devil speaks. "I have already told her of my intentions, and she agreed." Devil quickly looks at what Survivor was writing down, and quickly deduces what Survivor is going to do next. He quickly turns back to Survivor. "This is not a betrayal of any kind."

"I know, but I saw Chris today, and it made me realize the weight of my decisions."

"If you do not wish to use it, then you do not have to."

Survivor thinks for just a few more moments before taking the orb in his hand and absorbing it. "I'll make sure to put it to good use," he says to Devil.

"I never doubted that would be the case," Devil says before turning to leave, but before he walks out of his master's mental realm he offers up some advice. "If you are planning to aid Kawakami, make sure to have as many details about me as you can."

With that final piece, he leaves.