"Kira, I don't like this. We have no idea where that wacko is!" Aykono's new favorite word was "wacko", one of many twenty-first century words Kira had been teaching him.

"I don't like it either. He's completely lethal, and entirely unstable. I think he blames Yudai-kun and I for the death of his cult and the escape of his servant Kagura. That makes him reckless."

"Well, if you think about it, you kind of are responsible for at least one of those."

Kira paced for the millionth time. "We're going to have to be ready for anything. He could be back anytime, and in his condition… I hate to think what he might do."

Mrs. Higurashi appeared with mugs of tea. "Here we are. It's so wonderful to have another of Kira's friends. First she made friends with Yudai-kun, then that nice Kagura lady stopped by, and now you Aykono-kun!"

"Hey, grandmother?" Kira asked suddenly. "What would you do if a crazy person was after you and wanted to kill you?"

Mrs. Higurashi's smile never left as she answered obliviously. "Well, there'd be no reasoning with a… mentally disturbed person, would there? I would say distancing yourself as much as possible would be a wise option. Of course, you wouldn't want to hide anywhere innocent people might get hurt if your pursuer happened to do anything… radical. Oh, I just remembered. Does anyone want some tea biscuits?"

Aykono and Kira stared at each other, and Mrs. Higurashi went into the kitchen to get the biscuit tin. Aykono was the first to speak. "Your grandmother is probably the wisest person I've ever met."

She nodded dumbly. "I had no idea she knew about strategy. And the way she explained it makes it sound so obvious!"

"She may not have even been using strategy. It may just be common sense."

Kira almost ran a hand through her hair, before realizing what she was doing. She quickly put her hand down. "I think I know what this means. I may have to go back to the feudal era for a while, to get away from this crazy guy. But, it seems like I just got here, and I don't want to leave."

Aykono caught her eye with his. "Kira, if this wacko is after you, then it's not safe for you here in the twenty-first century. It's a matter of safety."

Kira groaned and smacked herself. "Oh, no. How could I be so stupid? If I'm not safe, then Yudai-kun isn't either. There goes any possibility of leaving. He knows virtually nothing about fighting or killing, and he'd be no match for any sort of attack, so I have to stay and protect him."

He coughed. "Uh, Kira. Believe me, as a guy, he is not going to like the idea of you protecting him. I mean, it wouldn't be that flattering knowing a girl is stronger than he is, and are you sure you can even take care of yourself?"

"Relax. I took care of him last time, didn't I? And, I'll make sure he doesn't realize I'm protecting him. Don't worry."

"Alright, alright. Hey, I thought you were going to show me around the city."

"Right," She looked him up and down. "We're going to need to get you into some of my uncle's old clothes."

"Why? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"If you haven't noticed, people don't dress like that anymore."

"But that cult guy was wearing old-fashioned clothes— oh, yeah, that's right. He's a wacko."

ooOoo

"Man, we're lucky you came on the weekend, or we'd have to hide you back at grandmother's house all day."

Aykono scratched his head, as he looked around at the new thing called a "mall". "Explain this school thing again to me. You go to a building, stay cooped up all day, except for infrequent breaks, and you learn stuff?"

Kira nodded. "Basically."

"So, you don't get to climb trees, or run as fast as you want, and you like it here?"

"Eh, I didn't say I like it. I just… It's interesting. A new experience that no one else from the feudal era will have had."

Aykono put his hand in the air. "Except me!"

"Yes, yes, you're very smart; shut up and put your hand down."

"Hey, what's that?" Aykono was pointing to a food stand.

"It's a hot dog stand. Do you wanna go check it out?"

"Is a 'hot dog' food?"

"Yeah…"

"Then, yes! I am STARVED!"

Kira winced at the volume of his voice. "Ok, then. Let's go— but, do you mind using your indoor voice?"

"What's an indoor voice?"

"Oh, dear. I see you have a lot to learn, my young Padawan."

"What's a padawan?"

"Never mind. I'll buy you a hot dog."

There was a small park outside the mall, and Aykono, tired of being in a building for so long, expressed his wishes to sit out there to eat. Kira decided it was necessary to instruct him in the art of eating a hot dog, because he tried to skin it with a disposable knife before she stopped him. She realized that introducing him to pizza would be out of the question, though it was close to okinomiyaki.

Kira smiled as she watched him scarf down the hot dog as if he hadn't eaten in weeks. "You weren't in a famine, by any chance, were you?"

He looked up with his mouth full. "No, why?"

She shook her head. "Never mind."

He finished eating and asked, "I'm not so sure it's safe for you to be out here. That crazy devil-worshipper could come back at any time."

"I'm glad I didn't let you bring your knife or you would be pulling it on anyone who looked at me. Would you relax?"

Aykono sat back and crossed his arms. "No, I will not relax. You are in danger, and I can't believe we're walking around like this. We should go home now."

"I'm fine, you big mother-hen. Look at me! I could take care of myself, even if you weren't here."

"I still say we should go home."

"Listen to me, Aykono: did you like the hot dog?"

He blinked, taken aback. "I… Yes, but what does that have to do with this?"

"If you liked it, then stop complaining. If you liked it, that means we can go home now. Happy?" They got up from their table and began the walk back.

"I won't be happy until we get back to your grandmother's house in one piece."

"Two pieces."

"What?"

Kira looked at him as if he were daft. "There are two of us, so there'll be two pieces."

He stared at her. "You're joking. How can you be joking at a time like this?"

She gave him a spontaneous hug, grinning as she almost knocked him over. "Aw, you're worried about me! Look! You're here to protect me, right? I'm fine! No danger, see?"

He turned away, face burning red. "Alright, alright. Uh, Kira? You can let go now, I get the picture."

"Say it! Say I'm not in danger, because I have you to protect me!"

"No way!"

"Say it."

"No."

Kira scowled at him. "Aykono, you say it right now, or I'll go looking for the wacko devil-worshipper."

Aykono scowled back. "Alright, Kira, you are not in any danger, because I am here to protect you."

She let go. "Ok, but you might not have said it in monotone."

"Can we hurry? It's starting to get dark, and it's not safe for you to be out at night."

Kira sighed. "Alright, we'll hurry."

He was about to put on a burst of superhuman speed, when she stopped him. "But not that much."

"Oh, right."

When they reached the house, Kira immediately escorted him to the well. Aykono saluted her. "See you later. Keep safe."

She rolled her eyes. "You know I will."

He was about to descend, but he paused, looking very serious. "Kira, I mean it. Don't do anything dangerous."

Kira blew a sigh of frustration. "Will you go already? I'll be fine!"

"Bye, Kira."

She waved, rolling her eyes again. "Bye, Aykono."

He disappeared from sight and she turned away, but paused before leaving the shed. She tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "This feels like déjà vu," She shook her head as she went back into the house. "I've been doing this way too often."

ooOoo

Lord Vasawaki— for that was the devil-worshippers' leader's name— nursed his wounds in the dark underbelly that was the hiding place for the scum of the city. He brooded and stewed, his mind boiling over with malevolence and hatred towards that little demon of a girl. How could he, the self-proclaimed lord of evil, be beaten by a woman?

It was intolerable.

Unthinkable.

Pathetic.

And, yet, it had happened.

He would never be able to hold his head up if he didn't kill her.

But how to do it…?

Vasawaki's mind was warped and half-mad when it finally found a solution. It seized on the idea that entered his head, and let it consume him from the inside out, festering like an infected wound. The evil and putrid filth of his design affected his very soul, until he lost what remaining shreds of humanity were in him, and became almost a creature—almost an animal of demonic quality.

He was beyond hate.

He loathed and despised that which was Kira, and determined to let her world suffer for it; he was bent on wreaking his wicked havoc, and if his plot worked…

There.

Would.

Be.

Suffering.