Disclaimer: Don't own yugioh or anything related to any of the MegaTen series.

Summary: In post-apocalyptic Japan, demons have roamed the lands. In Home IV, people that have taken the profession as Demon Busters eradicate any that could cause major problems to the restoration of Japan. Jou, as one of those demons busters and seen as a strong one, has his birthday coming but as he goes to return home, he was ambushed. What is Seto to do when his secret love is about to become a sacrifice, and a day before his birthday no less?

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The Gift of Life

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Jou yawned as he awoke to another gloomy day. It was rare for the sun to peek out on the desolate lands that was once Japan. He sighed, running a hand through shaggy blonde locks as he stepped out of bed and looked out the window, seeing people walking around through Home IV, one of the any bases scattered throughout the lands where refugees of the disaster were able to live with their demons by their side. He smiled softly as he moved away from the window and left his room to gather his weapon and demon. Said demon was asleep on the floor, only waking when he heard his friend and master walked into the room. With a yip, the garm hopped out from his bed and over to Jou, hopping up and giving him a quick lick before settling on the floor. Jou chuckled, stroking the demon's back. "Morning to you as well, Safren. Ready to go?" he questioned as he grabbed his twin swords and strapped them to his belt as he got an answering yip from the demon.

"Then let's get going." he said, leaving out the apartment with Safren right behind him.

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The Home was bustling with people as they went on with their normal lives, or as normal as they could make it. Only a select few were able to walk around with demon partners since most of the demons outside of the Home were aggressive and wild. Jou and Safren walked by, greeting some as he headed to the gate. When he got there, he was about to ask the security guard for leave but jumped when a grand hiss emerged from his side, grumbling angrily as Ananta settled back at his master's side. "God damn it, Kaiba! Why are you bothering me this early?" Kaiba chuckled as he looked to him.

"Because Ananta me I have guard duty."

Jou groaned at this, knowing that he will be given a hard time before he can finally get out of the Home. "Well, can you let me out? I have a place I want to visit."

"Hmm...why should I?"

Jou groaned. "Kaiba, I don't have time for this! I need to meet someone and I promise them today!" Kaiba's eyes narrowed at the thought of meeting someone and rather delay him from meeting the person but out of the kindness of his heart, or at least the little shred of it, he opened the gate. Jou gave him a nod before he and Safren ran out of the gate, Kaiba closing it behind him once he was in the clear. /Why did you let him go? Do you not like him?/ Ananta questioned.

"I do. It's fun to tease him but I can't do it too much or else I'll never gain his trust and in turn, never gain his love." Kaiba murmured and Ananta nodded.

/Isn't his birthday coming up soon? I've heard you speak of it./

"It is. I just don't know what to get him. During this post-apocalyptic disaster, there is little to get unless I can craft something from the junk scattered about." Ananta thought of these words before getting an idea. /Then let me go out today. I'll collect the finest pieces I can find and you can take them to the local shop to craft into a weapon. You have a good amount of days so you should have them before his birthday./ Kaiba nodded, opening the gate once more and Ananta slithered out into the demon infested world.

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Jou ran off towards Shibuya, Safren by his side tackling demons that made to attack them. When they reached the destroyed city, he stopped and looked around before hearing a sharp cry, looking up to see a blue form gliding down to them. /There he is! There he is!/ Safren chirped yipping happily as the demon landed before them. Dyaus held something in his mouth which Jou took before the demon reverted back to his human form, Cielo smiling brightly to the teen. "Hey there, brother! How has it being goin' for ya in Home IV?" he questioned. "It's been alright. Just glad to have a place to go to after everything we've been through." Jou answered, running a hand through his hair before looking back down to the item wrapped up in newspaper. "so, what's this?"

"It's your birthday gift! Just a little something me and tha others in Embryon got for ya." Jou smiled before tearing away the paper to see a little model of Tokyo Tower, reflecting the monument as best as possible. "Wow. Thanks, Cielo. Tell the others I said thanks too." Cielo nodded with a grin, patting the boy's shoulder. "Well, I better get back, mon. Don't want tha others worryin' 'bout me." he said, stepping back before transforming into Dyaus again and soon took for the air, neither noticing the danger nearby.

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After gathering enough to make a good sword, Ananta started on his way back to the Home. But he stopped though, when a startled cry called for him. All seven heads turned to see Safren running towards them, something in his jaws. /Ananta! Ananta! I need your help!/ Safren whimpered as he slid to a stop before the huge snake. /What's going on?/

/Something took Katsuya! It was a huge demon! It's strength is unmatched and I wasn't able to do much before it slapped me off to the side and took him!/

Ananta hissed angrily before taking off for Home IV, Safren following behind him. /What do you have in your mouth anyway?/ Ananta questioned.

/A model Embryon gave to him as a gift for his birthday. But we need to hurry or else he may not be alive for it!/ Ananta nodded as they raced back to Home IV to tell Kaiba of what happened. Jou or Safren just didn't know how much his master truly cared for the swordsman and hopefully, Jou will learn just how much after this rescue.

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"What! How could this have happened?" Kaiba growled when he was told of what happened. /It was an ambush. Neither of us expected it after Cielo left./ Safren spoke. Kaiba cursed once more before looking to Safren and Ananta. "Then we'll have to risk getting him back ourselves. It will be too much to contact anyone else about this. Time is of the essence."

/But do you think we'll survive?/

"Of course. They may know of Safren running off to surely tell someone but whatever stole Katsuya must be expecting a huge group instead of just the three of us." The two demons nodded before Kaiba started making a plan of attack.

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Jou woke up, senses dulled from the surprise attack on him and Safren just after Dyaus left. He looked about before realizing he was tethered to a tablet a glowing glyph above and below him. "Wh-what's going on here?" he shouted as he looked around the room for any source of what attacked him. /Only the revival of the great Loki./ A voice whispered as a demon walked out. It was a huge, blue-gray wolf, menacing glowing eyes watching him. "Fenrir..." Jou whispered, knowing how bad it was to encounter it. Another walked out beside him. "Yeah, we needed a strong warrior and we had some of the lesser demons keep an eye on you. You fight well with such a puny demon as your partner." Taraka groused. Jou growled, struggling in his bounds. 'Man, this is the last thing I need right now. And only a day before my birthday...' he thought to himself.

"Well, sadly, the ritual won't be till tomorrow when you come of age but until then, we'll leave you here. We're prepared for any sort of rescue attempt from the Home base you come from so nothing will stop us from summoning Loki." Taraka spat before waving Fenrir away and they both left the room. "Well, this is the last thing I wanted to deal with before my birthday and now, chances are I will be dead before I had the chance to celebrate it." he mumbled to himself. He sighed and hoped that Safren was alright.

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With Safren hot on the trail, he, Kaiba, Ananta and two wild Gurrs that he tamed along the way bolted towards the abandoned Ichigaya Camp. "So we know so much that it was chaos aligned demons that are behind this but what would they want with Katsuya?"

/There have been stories of the past where the elite of chaos demons fought with law demons and most of the elites were taken down easily, but law lost some in the progress. Chance are, any remaining chaos demons would try to revive their own back and the chaos have wicked ways of doing so./

"And how's that?"

/By sacrificing a strong warrior./ Ananta replied. Kaiba cursed before pushing Ananta on. Soon, they reached the camp at dusk and saw many Gakis and Koppa Tengus guarding the entrance. "It's a simple breakthrough but who knows that there could be a trap behind a weak defense like that." Kaiba muttered before looking to the two Gurrs. "Go and lead them off. We'll find another entrance inside." The Gurrs nodded before screeching as they went in for the attack, causing the demons to scatter. Some were taken out while others scampered off after the two birds, leaving the entrance unguarded. /Let's go./ Ananta whispered as they headed for the camp entrance.

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Jou sighed, feeling his arms stiffen from being in the same position for so long. 'Hopefully Safren got to someone and they're on their way here...' he thought to himself before looking up as Taraka came walking back in once more, glaring down at him. "Well, well. Looks like it's your unlucky day. Our guards have run off after some Gurrs and since Gurrs don't normally attack around this area, we know they're must've been tamed by someone as a distraction to get in here by other means but the front entrance leading to this area." she spoke as she looked down to Jou. He growled angrily and started struggling again. "I won't let this happen! Loki will never be revived!" he snarled.

Taraka laughed as she watched him struggle. "There's no stopping it! You will die here!" she hissed and raised one of her swords. Jou gasped and closed his eyes, waiting for the finishing blow but it never came. A screech came from the femme demon as Safren bit down hard on her arm. "Katsuya!" a familiar voice called as she craned his head to see Kaiba and Ananta coming towards him. Two of Ananta's heads lowered to rip off the binds holding him down and he sat up, rubbing at his arms. "Out of all the people..."

"No time. Let's get out of here!" Kaiba spoke as they left, Safren leaping from Taraka and running off behind them. Taraka hissed angrily as she followed behind them. "Fenrir! Get out here! The sacrifice is getting away!" she called and soon the large beast lunged out, giving a mighty roar. Ananta hissed before sending a blast of fire at the beast who cried out, rearing back and giving them the opening they needed to escape.

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When they returned, gladly having the pursuit ending when they were out of the camp's range, mostly because Fenrir and Taraka didn't want to be targeted by other demon busters that could be out, Jou finally gotten to the question he had been wanting to ask ever since the rescue. "Why did you come and save me back there? At the very least, I though you wouldn't even care in the slightest about me."

Kaiba looked to him before placing a hand on his shoulder. "Because I didn't want to lose you, Katsuya. You mean too much to me..." he whispered and Jou gasped at the revelation. "Really? But you always mocked me and make my life a living hell sometimes."

/That may be true but deep inside, he really cares about you and he admires your strength out on the battlefield. In truth, he really didn't wish you took such a profession. People get killed out there nearly every day and he doesn't want to see that happen to you. Today was a good example of how close he was to losing you to the hands of the chaos demons./ Ananta spoke and Jou nodded as he looked back to Kaiba.

"Kaiba..."

"Please, call me Seto."

"Seto..." he murmured before giving him a smile. "Thanks. If you didn't come, I probably would've been dead." Kaiba smiled, wrapping his arms around him. "I'm glad I had come when I did." he whispered and Jou smiled, relishing in the presence of Kaiba's newfound protection and could remember this as the greatest gift he could have gotten for his birthday. The chance to still be able to go on living. And better yet, a possible chance of finding love along the way of restoring Japan back to normal and being rid of all dangers of the demons except the ones that have trust in the humans.

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Zypher: And there you have it. Finally getting back on track with these and hopefully, I'll be able to make up for the ones I missed last year due to writer's block. Hoped you all enjoyed and I'll see you soon with another chapter. And if you need any info on anything MegaTen (Digital Devil Saga, Persona, Devil Summoner, etc.) just look up on them on wikipedia. It's a great series that I recommend looking into.