Here's chapter 11! Hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: Beelzebub belongs to Ryuuhei Tamura, not me.

Chapter 11- Controlling the Demon Powers

"Hah!" I shout as I deliver a punch at Hecadoth. He blocks it effectively and retaliates by sending a punch at me, which I block as well. Right now, we're busy showing our newly developed skills in martial arts to Graphel and Naga, who've wanted to see how much I know before I learn how to control my powers.

I finally end the fight by delivering a roundhouse kick at him through his blind spot. He realizes this too late and he's sent flying back onto the ground. I stare in surprise at this sudden strength.

Hecadoth looks stunned, but it quickly turns into a small smirk. "Impressive, Yumi," he praises. "You're becoming better at this."

I let out a rueful chuckle. "Sorry if I did any damage on you," I apologize.

"Oi, why the hell are you apologizing, woman?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "That was a good strike. And besides, you can't apologize to your opponents when in battle."

"S-Sorry…"

"There you go again!"

Naga nods approvingly. "She is pretty capable," he comments. "Her fighting skills are rather strong. I'd say that she's ready to learn how to control her powers."

Graphel nods. "Yeah, I guess," he agrees grudgingly.

Hecadoth looks at me. "Why don't you take a short break, Yumi?" he suggests. "Get some water. You look tired."

I go to the lake and wash my face in the water, as well as drinking some of it. Again, the water is very cool and refreshing, and it energizes me instantly. When I stand up, I stare in awe at the beauty of the place. I see a large fjord, with lush cliff sides and tiny waterfalls. The water is a beautiful shade of blue, and the sky is a soft shade of lavender. The air is fresh, and I smell what smells like wildflowers in the air. The entire place reminds me of the Western Brook Pond in Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland.

"You're still here?" Hecadoth asks me. I turn and see him leaning against a tree, his arms folded across his chest.

I nod. "The scenery's so beautiful," I tell him. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before."

"We can admire the scenery later," he reassures me. "Now, I'm going to teach you how to control your powers."

We go back to the campsite, which is where we're training as well. "Okay, Yumi. In order to use your powers properly, you need to calm your mind down. Only then, your powers can flow properly through your body." Suddenly, to my shock, he removes his tunic, revealing his bare, well-toned chest, and I feel my face starting to heat up as I look at his chest, which has various different scars and marks of his wounds from fighting. Not to mention, his muscles are very well-maintained and before I realize, my face turns at least five different shades of red. Oh my gosh… He looks so… wait, Yumi! Stop thinking like that!

"What the… What're you doing?!" I ask, my voice sounding flustered.

"Oi, Hecadoth!" Graphel calls out. "Put your shirt back on, dammit! You're distracting her!"

Hecadoth turns to me, frowning slightly. "Oi, Yumi. Snap out of it. You need to learn not to get so distracted," he orders, sounding slightly stern.

Is he serious?! Shirtless, well-toned, handsome guys are nearly every girl's weakness! Wait, did I just call Hecadoth handsome?! Gyaahh! Yumi, pull yourself together! I think to myself.

He lets out a sigh, running his fingers through his long black hair. "Listen up now," he says. "The reason why I took my shirt off is to show this." He places his index and middle fingers in the center of his abs. "Here is where you should feel the demonic energy. In order for it to flow through your body, you need to block all thoughts from your mind and focus only on this core of energy. Then, when it gets the signal, the energy will flow properly through your body." He gets into a stance to demonstrate. "Watch me."

I watch as he closes his eyes and takes deep breaths. Soon, I can sense the demonic energy rising, and the black tendrils slowly start forming around his fists and feet. "The reason why the energy comes out now is because your limbs are the main way it can be expelled. When it's properly controlled, it becomes lethal and dangerous."

I nod in understanding. "But wait, how are you able to have the energy surrounding your spear?" I ask.

"The spear is like an extension of my arm," he replies. "It surrounds the spear for that reason." He gets out of the stance and the energy slowly dissipates into the air.

I then try and clear my mind of all negative thoughts before I start practicing. However, the energy flow within me is weak and it's not as strong as I would've liked it. "Why's it not so strong?" I ask.

"There's something that's bothering you, that's why," he replies, putting his tunic back on. "You may not know it, but your mind is at war with some negative thought." He sits down. "Tell me, Yumi. What exactly is bothering you so much that you're at war with yourself?"

I sigh. "I don't even know," I reply, shaking my head.

Eventually, we finish our training for the day, and we start to get the campfire ready. Once the fire's going, I sit down on the log, staring at the flames. I see Hecadoth looking at what looks like a photo. "What're you looking at?" I ask, moving over so I can see. To my surprise, I see a picture of a beautiful woman with long black hair. Her eyes are a stormy gray, and she has a gentle smile on her face. She wears a long green gown with cap sleeves, and her hands are holding a book.

"This is my mother. Adrienne Lycidas," he tells me. I smile at the picture.

"She looks really beautiful," I say sincerely. "You have her eyes."

He nods, a rueful smile on his face. "My mother passed away of a very severe illness, when I was only seven. However, she died a brave death, because in spite of her illness, she kept on smiling for my sake," he says. "I've always carried this portrait with me, ever since I started my Pillar Training. Whenever I feel upset or angry, I just look at my mother's smile to reassure me and give me some comfort."

"That's sweet." I turn to look at him. "What was she like?"

Hecadoth puts the picture into his pocket. "You would've loved to have met her," he tells me. "She's always been very accepting of everyone, even Konketsuji."

I nod. "Is that so?" I ask. "Then, my mother would've loved to have met you as well."

I smile at him and he smiles back at me. Yeah, I definitely feel like I can trust Hecadoth.

"We've got dinner, and some fresh water," Graphel's voice brings us back to reality. We see Graphel holding a dead wild bird and Naga holding a bucket of water.

The four of us eat in silence before Hecadoth gets up. "I'm going to the springs," he says.

Once he leaves, the three of us sit in silence. Naga simply watches the fire and Graphel continues eating his share of the wild bird. I stare at the burning flames before Naga turns to me. "Tell me, Tanaka," he starts. "Just how much about the Pillar Division do you know?"

"I know about the different rankings and some of the different members," I reply. "I'm also aware of your grudge against the Kagirinai Kumori. By the way, just how many members are there?" I ask.

"There's around 90 members in the group," he replies. "Azazel is the strongest assassin out of all of them, and the one that killed Hecadoth's father. Mordred and Cerberus are responsible for several murders that have been committed against the Pillar Division. Lavinia and Samael are notorious for various attempts on Lord En-sama's life."

I nod slowly, letting all this information sink in as Naga tosses a piece of firewood into the flames. "When they were under Diabolos, they were loyal to the Great Demon Lord. What changed, though?" he muses, frowning.

"Diabolos? Who's he?" I ask.

"Diabolos was the original leader and founder of the Kagirinai Kumori," Hecadoth answers from behind us, walking up to the fire and sitting down next to Graphel. "He created the Kagirinai Kumori as a means of assassinating any traitors who were looking to overthrow the Great Demon Lord. However, after he died sixteen years ago, the Kagirinai Kumori changed for the worse."

"Their morals changed, and they went from a vigilante assassin group, to a cruel, sadistic force that targets nearly everyone. They've also become rather narcissistic as well," Naga adds. "Why this happened is unknown for the time being. Who their new leader is, even that's unknown. But for now, let's worry about getting some sleep."

"Who'll keep the first watch?" Graphel asks.

"I'll take the first watch," Naga replies. "The three of you, get some sleep."