Demon Sora was blown outside the class, collapsing unconscious into the corridor. Hajime sighed with relief while packing his cards and tried to gather his thoughts. At last, his grandmother had been avenged. Now he just had to get her body out of that damned place so his family could hold a proper funeral. That night's events were beginning to take their toll on him. He longed for a hot shower and the warm comfort of his bed more than ever before. But most importantly, he wanted to forget all about the monster who had ruined his life, at least for a couple of hours. How quick he had gone from obsession to downright disgust, but when he was faced with such an immoral petty being, he could not help but be repulsed at its actions. A few noises snapped him out of his thoughts and he noticed a dwarf figure run away holding a large body bag. Tsugumi's body had disappeared from the classroom. The blond groaned in utmost frustration, he had grown sick and tired of all those games. In honor of his grandmother, he had to retrieve her remains, so he ran after the thief.
As he approached the stairs, he felt a cold breath blow against the back of his neck, reeking of countless corpses. He stopped and glanced back. In the span of a second he saw a shadowy presence from which all he could distinguish were a pair of horns, a flowing mane and a pair of glowing red eyes. Maybe he was paranoid, maybe his tired mind was once again playing tricks on him, or maybe the suppressed fear was getting the best of him. But of one thing he was certain – he could hear steps coming from the darkness ahead. They were slow and calculated steps. Dropping his suitcase and taking a defensive stance, he braced himself for the worst. A tall body covered by a black coat emerged out of the shadows and stepped beneath the moonlight which faintly glowed through the windows. From beneath the cloak, Demon Subaru smiled at his prey. Bochiborof followed suit, joining his master's side and staring at the youngster with murderous intent.
"Greetings, Hajime! At last, we meet face to face," the cloaked one saluted.
"So you are the killer!" the blond exclaimed and pointed, no different from a child.
"Good job, detective. Where would the world be without your great deduction skills?" Bochiborof derided him.
"I'm not talking to you, stupid plushie!" Hajime snapped.
"I must confess, ever since I saw you mourn your best friend back in the cafeteria, I had been looking forward to this meeting of ours," Demon Subaru continued. "In fact, these past few days have been very long for me."
"Was it because you've spent this time murdering innocents, terrorizing the city and setting up your petty traps?"
"Wrong. At first I had a hard time trying to regain my lost power while simultaneously dealing with those who had defeated me fifty years ago. Once those goals were achieved, I could barely wait for us to meet at long last."
"Those who defeated you...? So that means grandma Tsugumi and her friends..."
"Yes, each chosen duelist has been dealt with. But as you may have noticed, two of them have been resurrected."
"Those are not the Edo and Sora I've known! They're nothing but another illusion from your bag of tricks!"
"I'm afraid you are wrong. Bringing back mortal souls from the afterlife is easy, if you are a daiyoukai such as me. I simply thought it would be poetic justice if I turned them into my own servants."
"You're the one speak of justice?! Don't make me laugh! And don't think that you're the only one with aces up your sleeve. I have read all about you... Shishima."
"So I've heard."
"Yes, and I know of your deceits and illusions, so don't think that I will fall easily to them!"
"As much as I would love to test that theory, I am more intrigued by your clear mind. You're a special man, Hajime." Demon Subaru licked his sharp fangs, unable to contain his excitement. "You have the same determination that Tsugumi had all those years ago when she faced me. That's why I knew you would be a perfect target."
"Is that so? Then why did you do all of this? Was it so you could relive your glory days in the Twilight Kingdom? Was it a tribute you're offering so you could be accepted back into your world? Or are you simply seeking to rule a new world after being kicked out of your home?"
"Hah, you have no business in the master's affairs, mortal!" Bochiborof laughed at the human's gall.
"Kehehe, don't worry, there's no harm in him knowing. The truth is, I did it all for fun."
Hajime stared at Demon Subaru with the face of someone whose world had been turned upside down. Righteous indignation filled him as his shaking hands clenched into tight fists. With his voice raised, he replied, "I don't believe it! All those innocent lives, the entire torment you put me through, it was all just for your twisted fun?!"
"Do you know the feeling of losing everything just by simple chance? One day you're certain you have a bright future ahead of you, next day you hate every single thing about your miserable existence. This is the world you're stuck in, there is no true meaning to any happening." The devilish one stretched his left arm forward and made a ball of black fire appear in his hand, burning uncontrollably in the pale moonlight. "The chaos of randomness dominates everything. And before you rush to deny it, remember the Christian saying that the Lord works in mysterious ways." He gripped the flame in his fist until only smoke remained. "By this logic, since I am the cause of every atrocity that befell upon this city in these past few days, maybe I am indeed the God that so many of you humans feared and worshiped."
"You're no God! You're just an empty shell and the one who truly lacks meaning here! All humans are meaningful to each other, our relationships make life worth living. Someone like you, with delusions of power, simply never experienced the magic feeling of having someone close to you! Now you seek to cover this weakness by imposing your selfish will upon my world, but I will not have it!"
"Don't you dare insult my master, you puny mortal!" Bochiborof shouted back at him, his gloved fists ready to punish the blond for his insolence.
Demon Subaru waved a hand, motioning for his servant to be quiet, then he spoke with an even bigger smile than before, "I like your assessment of me, Hajime. You must've read plenty of mythological texts to discover the past I have put behind."
"What do you mean?"
"The Twilight Kingdom is beneath me. I have no interest in bothering myself with its lazy inhabitants. What I seek is your world, for it's truly the best playground for someone like me."
"You're even more despicable than I've thought. Just who the hell do you think you are to come plague my world only to satiate your thirst for entertainment?!"
"Why ask what you already know? You have read the Twilight Kingdom's history, so you must know very well who I am."
"Oh yes, I indeed know very well, you're nothing but a spoiled royal brat who believes he is entitled to anything merely because he was wronged once. Well then, I have some news for you, Your Highness, life's never fair to anyone, no matter their status! Don't think that you've got a right to commit mass murders simply because you've seen your daddy die!"
For the first time in millennia, the demon had been rendered speechless. "Why you..."
"Touched a sensitive spot, didn't I?" Hajime continued, a smirk of utter satisfaction on his face. "I surely bet that your big bad mommy was in her full right to banish your dangerous ass out of her kingdom!"
"Silence!" The ground beneath them began to shake as the moon's light turned bloody crimson and the air became eerily suffocating. Demon Subaru's smile was gone, replaced by the threatening scowl of an angered beast ready to pounce at any moment. "You're speaking of matters you cannot even comprehend! Do you think that a bunch of drugged monks have been able to grasp the entire truth of the spirit world? Don't make me laugh! A few meditations granted them vague visions of what actually happened and they decided to write down their own interpretations." He calmed down, and along with him, the surrounding sights returned to normal. "Oh no, Hajime, there is much more to my story, but you will have to work if you wish to know the truth!"
"I'm afraid I'm not at all interested in your little demon drama, Shishima. All I want is to fix the wrongs you have done and banish you out of my world."
The fiend laughed copiously, his hissed cackles being no different from the terrible sound of nails scratching a blackboard. "Isn't that precious? I knew I had chosen well when I targeted you. Yes, indeed you are a fine playmate." Demon Subaru slowly approached the young one. "Do you remember the little bet I made with you over the phone? 'Find me before the entire city goes to hell'? Well, it seems I have found you instead, meaning that you lose!"
"I will not go down without a fight!" Hajime immediately took his deck out of the suitcase. "And don't think that I am doing this to entertain you, I am doing this to cleanse the world of your poison!"
"Kehehehe, yes, yes! Even if you claim the contrary, you will still grant me the ultimate exciting duel! Without further ado, let us begin!"
With a single snap from his fingers, Demon Subaru made two dueling tables appear between them, his deck already placed on his table, the cards all arranged and five shields already glowing above him. Hajime had never seen such a display of power. Could this monster actually make things appear and disappear at his own will, or was it all just another illusion? Not wasting any time, he also placed his deck on the table, set up the cards and thus, their fateful match began.
"I summon Crista, First Squad." A small floating creature made of pale yellow crystal appeared by Hajime's side.
"I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash." A humanoid with cowboy features and a giant reptile skeleton on its right arm appeared by Demon Subaru's side.
"I summon Bernine, Dragon Armored and draw a card." A creature brandishing a white armor made of a dragon's fossil and wielding a sword appeared next to Crista.
"I summon Vader, Dark Armor." A knight in a metallic pale brown armor, with a horned skeletal helmet and wielding a shield, appeared next to BloodRayne. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." The top card of Demon Subaru's deck went into his graveyard – Jenny, the Dismantling Doll – and since it was a creature, he drew a card.
"I cast One Eye's Judgment and freeze Vader. Then I put the spell face up on one of my shields."
"Ho, is that a new mechanic? I thought you were still using Tsugumi's deck."
"No, I used that deck only to punish her murderers. I have built this new deck specifically for facing you, Shishima. Using some of the new cards my grandmother gifted me, along with the brand new Judgment Emblem spells, I will make sure you will never penetrate my defenses!"
"Interesting, that is so very interesting! I accept this challenge, Hajime. I summon Ninjariban, Dragon Edge and bring out Greene, Dragon Soul Ruins, which puts the top card of my deck into my mana zone." A blue ninja plushie appeared alongside a green ruined building. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect again." The top card of Demon Subaru's deck went into his graveyard, which was Duenyan Emperor, allowing him to draw again.
"I cast Violent Wheel's Judgment and make Crista win all battles until the start of my next turn. Then I put the spell face up on another shield of mine. Crista, destroy Vader!" The crystal creature fired a bright beam of light upon the knight, turning him to ash.
"Keh, the time has come for my trump card – I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge, mill the top two cards of my deck and bring out Welcome Hell, Supreme Devil King Palace!" A purple wolf plush toy with dragon wings and horns, wearing short pants, a black coat, brown boxing gloves with blue spikes and an orange mask covering the upper part of its face appeared in the battle zone, wielding a red bone scythe, followed by a winged demonic palace, as Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter and Hell Mission, Dark Armor fell into their owner's graveyard. "With Welcome Hell's effect, I revive Vader. Then I attack Crista with Ninjariban and Welcome Hell will also revive Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter. With Bochiborof's effect, I mill the top 3 cards of my deck and return a creature to my hand." Heeding the call, the long haired purple wolf plushie rushed into the battle zone and made Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie, Time Tripper, Shadow of Stagnation and Uroborof, Dragon Edge fall into his master's graveyard, the latter going back into his hand. "I end my turn and use Vader's effect." Magnum, Allshot Doll fell into Demon Subaru's graveyard, allowing him to draw.
"I summon Savark DG, reveal the top three cards of my deck and take all spells and Metallica creatures to my hand!" A small cycloptic dragon made of pale purple crystals appeared, its owner revealing the top cards of his deck as Kirazeus Savark, White Night, Edge of Yin Yang and Condemning Thunder's Judgment, all of which went into his hand. "I also draw a card from Bernine. I end my turn and with Savark DG's other effect, I cast Condemning Thunder's Judgment from my hand for free, which sends Hellborof and BloodRayne on your shields face up, then the spell also goes face up on one of my shields. You brought out your trump card? It's about time I did the same - I end my turn, and since there are three face up cards on my shields, I destroy Savark DG and replace him with Kirazeus Savark from my hand!" The small dragon suddenly vanished in an explosion, out of the smoke emerging the slender serpentine dragon made of gold and dark purple crystal, its wings made of sharp golden spears, a red eye glowing on its chest and a sword of light in its sharp claws. "With Kirazeus Savark's effect, I send Vader on one of your shields face up as well! Lastly, Bernine lets me draw again."
"What a fun deck you've brewed there, Hajime! Yes, it's got a very strong control strategy, it will delight me all the more when I defeat it! I summon Death Hands, Misfortune Emperor and destroy Bernine!" A horned knightly figure with a red cape and a large scythe appeared and immediately rushed at the white armored creature, cutting it in half with its blade.
"I summon Faywon, Green Silver, tap it and draw a card. Then I summon another Faywon and do the same. Kirazeus Savark, attack and Dragon Double Breaker, I add two new shields from the top of my deck while I also break two of your shields!"
Demon Subaru stretched his arms wide and welcomed the dragon's attack, not minding one bit the shield shards which hit him. The excitement of the duel was too great, he could not help but revel in the madness of their confrontation. As he took the two cards in his hand, he revealed one of them saying, "Shield trigger, I cast Inferno Sign and revive Ninjariban, Dragon Edge which brings out Whitey, Dragon Soul Church." The ninja plushie reappeared, alongside a floating church made of gold. "With Whitey's effect, I freeze Crista!"
"Your move..." Hajime passed his turn.
"I summon Savage, Forbidden U, which mills the top card of my deck and then I can return a creature or D2 Field to my hand. Oh how sweet, I return Haridelberg, Hell of D to my hand and then I expand it!" A metallic skull landed in the battle zone and caused dozens upon dozens of spikes to arise from the floor while the surroundings changed into those of a mountain. "Ninjariban, attack Kirazeus Savark and Welcome Hell revives Hell Mission, Dark Armor."
"I untap Faywon and redirect the attack to it!"
A white caped purple cyclops stood in the plushie's way, taking the full strength of its attack and getting destroyed in the process.
"Keh, so that's the game you're playing. Bochiborof, attack Kirazeus Savark!"
"I untap my other Faywon and redirect the attack to it!"
The long haired wolf plushie howled as the another cyclops stood in the way of its fists, receiving a blow which immediately annihilated it.
"Death Hands, suicide on Kirazeus Savark! Since a creature of mine was destroyed, Haridelberg gives -4000 to Crista and destroys it!" A pair of spikes stabbed the small crystal creature until it broke apart. "I end my turn and destroy four of my creatures to Dragsolution Welcome Hell into Deathgoros, Supreme Devil Corrupt King!" The floating palace fired a beam upon Demon Subaru's remaining creatures, eradicating them, after which its upper side cracked open to reveal a demonic dragon wielding a bone scythe. "Now Haridelberg will give -16000 to Kirazeus Savark and destroy it!" A giant spike arose from the floor, stabbing the slender dragon, which cried in agony as it perished in an explosion. "Then I use Haridelberg's Denjara Switch effect and revive each creature of mine which was destroyed this turn!" One by one, all of Demon Subaru's creatures arose from the mountain's spiky grounds. "Bochiborof mills three cards and I return Hellborof from the graveyard back to my hand. Savage mills a card and I return another Haridelberg back to my hand. Ninjariban brings out Blacko, Dragon Soul Palace, discard a card!" A decadent purple palace appeared, causing Hajime to discard White Night, Edge of Yin Yang.
"I summon Heaven's Rosia, True Dragon Edge and bring out Endless Heaven, True Holy Church." An angelic armored humanoid appeared alongside a floating church with large blue roses painted on each corner and two pairs of blue wings coming out of both sides, a dragon's head sculpted above its large entrance. "I end my turn and since I have more shields than you, Endless Heaven Dragsolutions into Neverend, True Destiny King!" The floating building transformed into an angelic dragon who wielded a double-bladed spear and wore the church's architecture as his armor.
"I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge, mill two cards and bring out Reddull, Dragon Soul Castle which gives him speed attacker!" The winged and horned wolf plushie reappeared, bringing forth a red Japanese-styled castle with burning swords coming out of its edges. "Savage, break the shield with Violent Wheel's Judgment! Death Hands, break the shield with Condemning Thunder's Judgment! Hell Mission, break his shield!"
Hajime was confused. Why did Demon Subaru not use his triple breaker to get rid of those shields with Judgment Emblems? Why did he opt to break them one by one? Regardless, he could not let his mind be clouded by those tricks, so he immediately showed one of the cards he picked up from his shields and replied, "Shield trigger, I cast Justy Luminarie and bring out Defense Armor, Absolute Fear!" A golden gate appeared and opened its doors, a being made of silvery crystals emerging from it.
"Bochiborof, break another shield! Deathgoros, attack and revive Ninjariban, which brings out Bluenika, Dragon Soul Fortress." The ninja plushie reappeared, bringing out a blue floating submarine fortress. "Now... Super Dragsolution – All Over The World, Supreme True Dragon Soul!"
The five buildings united in a giant spectacle of rainbow colored lights which almost blinded Hajime. As this was happening, each creature disappeared as all cards from the battle zone, graveyards and hands were shuffled back into their owners' decks. Was this the power of those strange cards? So that was why his opponent broke each shield individually, so he could use Deathgoros to revive the creature which would complete All Over The World, thereby leaving Hajime with no cards in his hand. When the lights ceased, the young one saw that Haridelberg's sights had been vanquished and they were once again in the college corridor. Towering above the duelists was an almighty robotic creature made of five buildings, a humanoid body floating beneath the imposing structure and wielding two burning swords from Reddull.
"Feast your eyes on true power, Hajime! This is the mana source to existence itself, brilliantly encapsulated in a single dragheart!" Demon Subaru bragged as he stood proud beneath his ultimate finisher. "Deathgoros flips back into Welcome Hell. Since Hell Mission left the battle zone, I destroy Neverend! Will you save it with True Escape?"
"So I could lose my shields without any shield trigger? No, I'm afraid he must go," the blond responded, allowing the Angel Command Dragon to vanish alongside the rest of his creatures.
"Oh, what a shame... Since Bluenika was brought last, I draw a card. Now All Over The World, break his final shields!"
Hajime took cover as the dragheart creature fired beams from each of the buildings comprising its body, leaving him defenseless. He checked the cards which went into his hand and quickly revealed one of them, stating, "Shield trigger, I cast One Eye's Judgment and freeze All Over The World!"
A glowing red eye appeared and fired golden beams of light upon the mighty dragheart creature, binding it to the floor.
"You're just prolonging your suffering. Not that I mind, please continue."
"I summon Faywon, Green Silver, tap it and draw a card. Then I cast Dragon's Sign and bring out Heaven's Rosia, True Dragon Edge which I equip with Javeleon, Beast Spear! I end my turn and since I have three shields or less, I Dragsolution Javeleon into Leosaiyu, Beast Cathedral." The angelic humanoid tossed the golden spear with a lion head in the air and it transformed in a floating golden cathedral with a lion's head above the entrance.
"I summon Hellborof, Supreme Dragon Edge, mill two cards from my deck and bring out Karakurigaeshi, Ninja Mansion." The two cards which landed in the cloaked fiend's graveyard were Black Psycho, Revenge and Vader, Dark Armor.
"At the start of my turn, since I have one shield or less, I Dragsolution Leosaiyu into Leo the World, Zenith Heavenly Saint!" The cathedral transformed into a tall angelic lion wielding two spears and donning the building's architecture as its armor. "Then I summon Kirazeus Savark and send a piece of All Over The World back into the hyperspatial zone! And since the creature is now incomplete..."
"It will fully leave the battle zone," Demon Subaru uttered in apparent shock as they all witnessed the crystal dragon use its sword of light to cut off one of All Over The World's buildings, which resulted in a chain reaction which separated the entire creature in a swift flash of light. This left him speechless for a few moments, until he suddenly burst into maniacal laughter which unnerved his opponent."Yes, keep resisting, the more you struggle, the greater my pleasure will be! At the start of my turn, Karakurigaeshi mills two cards from my deck!" Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie and Duenyan Emperor fell into his graveyard. "I summon Hell Mission, Dark Armor. Hellborof, attack and S-Rank Invasion "Zombie", I evolve him into Deadzone, S-Rank Zombie, which gives -9000 to Faywon, so there will be no reverse blocker tricks." The wolf plushie gave a mighty howl and flew towards his opponent, immediately transforming into a dark purple motorcycle robot with red eyes, sharp teeth and a wheel claw which it used to crush the crystal cyclops. "Deadzone, todomeda!"
"Leo the World, block the attack!" The angelic lion stood in the way and shoved both of its spears into the robot's chest, tearing its body to shreds.
"Since one of my Darkness creatures was destroyed, Karakurigaeshi 3D Dragsolutions into Utsusemihenge, Blame Demon Dragon." Out of the black mansion emerged a winged black and blue dragon made of plush, donning the mansion's walls as its armor and a red shuriken on its chest. "Finish him off, Utsusemihenge, todomeda!"
"I activate Leo the World's effect and destroy Heaven's Rosia to stop the attack!" The angelic humanoid jumped in the way of the Demon Command Dragon, sacrificing itself in the process. "My turn, I cast One Eye's Judgment to freeze Hell Mission. Kirazeus Savark, destroy Utsusemihenge!"
"I put four cards from my graveyard to the bottom of my deck and Utsusemihenge stays."
"Leo the World, destroy Utsusemihenge!" Heeding the order, the Angel Command Dragon engaged the Demon Command Dragon in a battle, holy spears against demonic ninja blades, the former proving victorious in their short combat, finishing his opponent by breaking his weapons and stabbing his plush chest, tearing his body in two.
"I summon Savage, Forbidden U, mill the top card of my deck which is Bochiborof, and I take him back to my hand. Then I summon Bochiborof, Aloof Fighter." The long haired purple wolf plushie reappeared in the battle zone, putting three more cards into his owner's graveyard – Haridelberg, Hell of D, Inferno Sign and BloodRayne, Start Dash – the latter of which was returned to his hand. "Lastly, I summon BloodRayne, Start Dash. I end my turn and destroy all my creatures to flip Welcome Hell into Deathgoros, Supreme Devil Corrupt King!" The winged palace once more blasted four creatures as a sacrifice, cracking its upper half open to free the demonic dragon resting inside. "With his effect, I destroy Kirazeus Savark!"
"I burn BloodRayne off of your shield and Kirazeus Savark remains! And now my turn, I summon Bernine, Dragon Armored and draw a card. Then I summon Faywon, Green Silver, draw from Bernine, tap Faywon and draw again. I also summon Crista, First Squad and draw again from Bernine. Leo the World, break his final shields!" The dragheart creature gave a mighty roar and flew through the opposing three shields, bringing all down. The fiend remained silent, meaning that most likely he had no shield triggers. "It was about time someone wiped that smug smile off of your face. This is for everyone you have ever tormented, you disgusting pitiful monster – Kirazeus Savark, todomeda!"
Heeding Hajime's order, the dragon fired a bright beam out of the red eye from its chest. Those few moments passed like years for him. At last, the cause of his entire turmoil had been brought to justice. The city was saved, the world was spared of a great evil, his loved ones were avenged and he was finally free to move on with his life. Alas, his high hopes were all but shattered when he heard the dreaded hissed voice reply:
"Ninja Strike 4, I summon Falconer, Lightfang Ninja and turn Deathgoros into a blocker! Deathgoros, block and destroy Kirazeus Savark!"
The small white plane appeared and gave the Demon Command Dragon a white aura, allowing him to stand in the way of the crystal dragon's beam, block it with his bone scythe, and with a demonic shriek he deflected the attack back upon the creature, making him vanish in an explosion.
"No, this can't be..."
"Oh, but it certainly is, I am still standing. It's been a real pleasure, Hajime Shirayama. After this duel, I have never felt more alive. Let this be the moment that shall mark to the entire world the return of Shishima!" Demon Subaru's red irises shone brightly as he stared upon the top card of his deck. Then he drew it and his smile twisted into a malicious grin."I evolve Deathgoros into Dorballom, God of Demons!"
The demonic dragon's palace body cracked open as golden tentacles ending in goat heads emerged from it. A pair of blood red wings flapped out of it, waving off the husk to reveal a white goat demon with six arms, sitting in the lotus position on a floating sapphire throne. With another flap from his wings, a wave of darkness was cast upon the field, destroying all of Hajime's creatures and mana, the only one remaining by his side being Leo the World. The young one could not believe it, it was as if he had been swallowed into total darkness. In just a matter of seconds his dreams had been rendered naught, leaving despair to devour his soul.
"Kehehehe, I bid you farewell, mortal! Dorballom, todomeda!" Demon Subaru victoriously ordered.
The goat demon created a purple energy ball using his six hands, which he then tossed upon the poor boy, throwing him away into the corridor's depths. Hajime crashed against the cold floor, his body hurting in many places, he could barely move, and his cards were scattered all over him and his suitcase.
"Congratulations, milord! You never fail to impress me, that must have been your greatest duel ever!" Bochiborof cheered as he joined his master's side.
"You know I always do my best," the pleased fiend nodded to his minion. "And now it's time I reap the benefits of my hard work."
"I wholeheartedly agree, master!"
Demon Subaru walked to the defeated one, his mind caught in a euphoria of madness he had longed to experience after those fifty years of slumber. At last, it all worked out in his favor. His enemies had been eliminated, his power had been restored and he had fully enjoyed toying around with Tsugumi's grandson. From then on, a brand new era would rise upon the human world, one where all would know of Shishima's might and glory, as he would finally achieve his ultimate goal of acquiring godhood. But there was one last thing he had to do... Leaning down, he grabbed Hajime's cheeks, poking them with his claws, and dragged him up so that their faces were but a breath apart. The tired and fearful expression of his victim was delighting him to no end. He could feel the boy's heartbeats rushing with the intensity of a cornered prey who knew that its demise was inevitable. And all he could do was stare, with a fanged grin stretched from ear to ear.
"I will enjoy this to no end!"