"What a nice city. It's so prosperous and peaceful. The people are all so friendly and happy.
This is the easiest kind of place to make Akuma." Earl said.
"Darling!" Woman cried.
"I need only target a formerly happy person who's deep in the throes of despair." Earl said.
"A good evening to you. There's no reason to cry. You can take your husband back from that hateful God. Let us call your husband's soul back from the afterlife. Make a heart felt call for your husband to come back!" Earl said.
"Darling? Darling!" Woman said.
"You..." Man said.
"Is it you, my darling?" Woman said.
"What have you done?! How dare you turn me into an Akuma!" Man said.
"I order you to kill your wife and take her form!" Earl said.
Xxx
"Huh?" Allen said.
"Awake at last?" Komui said. "How do you feel?"
"All right, I suppose. How's Kuri? Is she being treated?" Allen said.
"Kuri is fine. She has special glasses on to treat her eyes until they recover. But as for her innocence..." Komui said.
"Yes?" Allen said.
"It's still there, and at 86% synch rate, but she can't activate without her eyes for some reason." Komui said. "There's nothing to worry about."
"That's a relief. May I ask you something?" Allen said.
"Sure." Komui said.
"You're so busy, so why did you take the time to leave headquarters? It wasn't just for me and Kuri, was it? Who are the Noah Clan?" Allen said.
"He came to ask us." Lavi said.
"Eh? When did he come in?" Allen said.
"The Noah are a supposedly fictional race, whose existence has never been empirically supported. They seem to appear occasionally, especially when the world is on the verge of a great change, but they fail to appear in any document or text. You came here because they've appeared at the Earl's side, didn't you? You came to talk with Bookman, the only person alive who knows about the secret histor-" Lavi said.
"Hold your tongue!" Bookman kicked him. "You must be wary of revealing even the slightest scrap of information. The information the Bookmen hold must only be passed to another Bookman!"
"Eh? And when did he come in?" Allen said.
"Why's that? Who cares, anyway? I'll be taking over as the next Bookman soon anyway." Lavi said.
"Dunder head! A green horn like you could never take over from me!" Bookman said.
"Stupid ancient panda!" Lavi said.
"Allen Walker. You are the boy destined to destroy time, are you not?" Bookman said.
"Uh, yes..." Allen said.
"We belong to an organization known as the Bookmen." Lavi said.
"Bookmen?" Allen said.
"It's our job to observe and record the secret, undocumented history of the world. It's a tough job, but-" Lavi said and Bookman kicked him again. "Ow, that hurt, damn it!"
"Shut up! We have joined the exorcists for our own purposes. I have no name. You may call me Bookman." Bookman said.
"Uh, okay." Allen said.
"Well, this is interesting. Though the effect is small, your left eye seems to be regenerating of its own accord. It seems my needles are not necessary." Bookman said.
"Ah, really?" Allen said.
"You are cursed, then?" Bookman said.
"Y-Yes. I got this wound from my father, who I turned into an Akuma long ago." Allen said.
"At any rate, you need your rest. When Lady Kuri recovers her innocence, you will have to begin your travels again. There's no need to rush." Bookman said.
"Alright. I'm going to go visit Kuri." Allen said.
Allen headed to her room. "Kuri, are you in there? I thought we could go for a walk."
Kuri came out, not looking at him, even through her gargantuan glasses.
She seems kinda mad...is it because I didn't answer her confession? Allen thought. Come to think of it, we haven't spoken since then...
Allen bowed. "Um...about your confession...thank you very much!"
Kuri jerked in anger. She smacked her cane on his head. "Don't you dare mock my feelings Allen! I said I loved you and then I proved it! I gave you my light!" She gestured to her eyes. "I don't regret it not one little bit!"
Allen tried to lift his head. "I lo—"
"Don't." Kuri brought her cane down on him again. "Don't tell me you love me just to be polite or to make me feel better. Say it...then prove it."
"I'm sorry." Allen said. "I do love you Kuri. I'll try to prove it, if you'll let me."
"I'll be waiting!" Kuri hurried off into the festival.
"I suppose she's forgiven me." Allen said.
"How'd it go?" Lavi said. "How was your confession of L-O-V-E?"
"Shut up." Allen said. "She went for a walk."
"That's not smart. She can't use her innocence. She's a walking target." Lavi said. "Then, let's go on a walk and get some fresh air. Ooh, looks like there's some kinda party going on."
Why is he so calm when Kuri could be hurt? Allen thought. "Yeah.
"How old are you?" Lavi said.
"About fifteen." Allen said.
"Then I'm your elder, being eighteen and all." Lavi said. "Fifteen, eh? "I think all that hair bleaching mighta' stunted your growth."
"Hair bleaching?" Allen said.
"Some people call me Junior, but you can call me Lavi. Can I call you moyashi? Well, that's what Yu calls you." Lavi said.
"Yu?" Allen said.
"Didn't you know? That's Kanda's first name." Lavi said.
"Yu. Yu. I had no idea. Everyone I know just calls him Kanda." Allen said.
"You should call 'im that. If that doesn't make him open up to you, I dunno what will. Well, I dunno when we'll be able to see him again, anyway. I get the feeling this next mission might be a pretty big to-do." Lavi said.
"Why do you think that?" Allen said.
"The Earl's finally making his appearance of the Noah Clan can mean nothing else.
Well, we'll just have to be on our guard." Lavi said.
I became an exorcist to destroy Akuma, not to kill humans. Allen thought.
"Hey, what's wrong? Hey, moyashi!" Lavi said.
"It's Allen! I'm going to find Kuri alone. Go back without me." Allen said.
"Oh my, what a child." Lavi said.
What on Earth are those Noah clansmen? Are they truly human? Allen thought. What's this? What...What am I afraid of? Am I afraid of being in a crowd? I can't use my left eye right now. I can't tell who's human and who's an Akuma! Hey! There's Kuri!
"Want some flowers?" Girl said to Kuri.
Kuri knelt. "They smell wonderful!"
"Please, buy some...Ms. Exorcist!" Girl aimed her akuma cannon at Kuri.
Allen jumped in the way and took the blast, stars spreading over his body. "Proof...enough...?"
Kuri caught him as he purified the virus. "Baka...of course this is proof enough..."
"Die, Exorcists!" Akuma said, but was destroyed by Lavi's hammer.
"That was close!" Lavi said. "What're you two doin'?"
"Lavi." Allen said.
"The main streets have too many people on'em. It's way dangerous." Lavi said.
"There's another!" Kuri said.
"Big hammer, small hammer. Grow! Grow! Grow!" Lavi said.
"It grew!" Kuri said.
"Whoa!" Allen said.
"Getcha head down!" Lavi said.
"He destroyed it, building and all!" Kuri said.
"Geez, these Akuma don't know how to conduct themselves in public. Let's get outta here.
No use fightin' in the middle of town." Lavi said.
"Uh, right." Allen said.
"All right, grab on, both'a ya." Lavi said.
"Right." Kuri said, and she and Allen grabbed on.
"Big hammer, small hammer. Extend!" Lavi said and the hammer extended allowing them to make a quick escape.
"What the hell are they?!" Man said.
"The police! Call the police!" Woman said.
Xxx
"This is all the material I have on record concerning the Noah Clan." Bookman said.
"Ah, thanks so much, Bookman. I'm sorry to have made you tell me all this in such a short period of time." Komui said.
"Don't worry about it. It's my job." Bookman said. "Their motives are clear, Supervisor."
We were barely able to hold out against the Akuma alone. The appearance of this new enemy makes my chest hurt. Well, not mine. It's the exorcists who are in danger. All I do is throw you all into the darkness that is the Earl's plan." Komui said.
"It's hard on us all. The only equivalent thing in war is pain." Bookman said.
Xxx
"Hey, you alright, moyashi? How bout you, ahiru?" Lavi said.
"It's Allen." Allen said.
"A-A-Ahiru?! I love love love that nickname!" Kuri said. "Call me that again please!"
"Ahiru." Lavi said, grinning.
"SQUEE!" Kuri said.
Allen chuckled. "That's pretty neat, that it can make you fly and all."
"Yeah. It can grow to however long you want it." Lavi said.
"Isn't it heavy?" Kuri said.
"It gets so big." Allen said.
"Not at all. It always weighs the same, to me." Lavi said.
"Really?" Allen said.
"Anyway, what's the matter with you? You're gonna die young if you don't get your weapon out when the Akuma show their faces." Lavi said.
"Sorry." Allen said.
"You can't use that eye of yours that can sniff out Akuma, can you?" Lavi said.
"No.
"Well then, you should just assume that everyone you come in contact with is an Akuma." Lavi said.
"Lavi!" Kuri said. "Don't say it like that."
"I can't do that! Not every one can be an Akuma!" Allen said.
"That's true,] but aren't you afraid of everyone already? Now that you can't use your Akuma-seeing eye, you'll never be able to tell who's human and who's an Akuma." Lavi said.
"That may be." Allen said.
"Well, the moment you think about suspecting someone, they're already suspect. It shouldn't surprise you that anyone's an Akuma." Lavi said.
"That's how we fight, after all." Kuri said.
"How do you two do it?" Allen asked.
"Well, to be honest I put a target with my mind on every human, and wait for the optimal moment to fire." Kuri said. "At the moment however, my aim is a little off."
"I assume that everyone around me is an Akuma, and prepare myself accordingly." Lavi said.
"We exorcists are at a tremendous disadvantage, unlike you and your handy eye." Kuri said.
"The Akuma mingle within human society. We can never tell who's human and who's not. Me and the other exorcists think of the rest of humanity as allies of the Earl." Lavi said.
"But...I can't just kill everyone in my path." Allen aid.
"That's why we wear this coat. So the Akuma know to come after us." Lavi said.
"That's right; it's our sign of commitment." Kuri looked pointedly at Allen, and twisted her ring.
Xxx
"Oh, there he is!" Woman said.
"Isn't he gorgeous?" Woman said.
"He stands out, wherever he is." Woman said.
"Master, isn't that coat a little obvious?" Little Allen said.
"My idiot apprentice, our thoughts are completely different. Dumbass." Cross said.
Akuma attacked.
"See? This is all because you wear that coat all the time." Little Allen said.
"This is as it should be. There's no use hiding from something you can't see. This coat is a lure. It allows me to suspect everyone who comes in contact with me. It's a sign of commitment." Cross said.
Xxx
"What's wrong?" Kuri said.
"Kuri...Lavi, aren't you afraid of being a lure for the Akuma?" Allen said.
"Really, I'm more afraid of the humans." Lavi said.
"He's right. Someone I knew yesterday might be an Akuma today." Kuri said. "That's not all...Even someone who's kind to me, who I think of as a nice guy, could really be an Akuma."
"Seriously, it could drive you mad." Lavi said. "However... I've just gotta destroy every last one of the Akuma that come after me."
"To protect those we seek to save, we must remain suspicious of them all. It takes commitment Can you bear to do so, Allen?" Kuri said.
"Over there!" Man said. "Those kids dressed in black!"
"Hey you!" Man said. "Stop right there!"
"C'mere! You're under arrest!" Man said.
"Wait, we're-" Allen said.
"Stop resisting or I'll shoot!" Man said.
"Stop it! What are you-" Allen said, then stopped and finished off the akuma.
"There's more coming!" Kuri said.
"There's a crapload of 'em!" Lavi said, protecting her.
"R-Right!" Allen said.
"Big hammer, small hammer. Grow! Grow! Grow!" Lavi said.
"What's the matter? Stay on your toes!" Kuri said
"Right!" Allen said. That's right...My master, Kuri, Lavi and all the exorcists live within and fight for human society, thinking all the while that every human in their path is a potential enemy. To destroy the Akuma within the crowd, they have to use themselves as bait...All to protect those they wish to save...I never understood what my master meant until now! I never understood what they were going through! At the very least, I have to use this eye of mine to help relieve the constant fear of those that fight with me as exorcists! And I have to prove that I've made the same commitment as them. That commitment...and the commitment I've made to Kuri!
"All right, that's it!" Allen said, finishing off the rest of them.
"Help me! Help me!" Girl said.
Allen destroyed the akuma, protecting the girl and standing in front of Kuri. "I will protect you. That is my commitment. And to you too, Kuri, I make a commitment."
The glasses fell from Kuri's face and shattered. Her eyes, previously red, were now back to their natural blue, the color they had been before the innocence.
"Thank you Allen. I reciprocate." Kuri held out a hand to the girl. "Are you alright?"
The girl's akuma weapon pointed at Kuri's head.
"Too late." Kuri said. "I now see what I was blind to before. There is a target on your chest. There is no need to aim or worry about hitting the mark. Sacred Arrow, fly true!"
The arrow appeared in her hand and shot true through the akuma's chest, finding it's mark without aim.
"You're good." Lavi said.
"I suppose..." Kuri said, lowering her hands. "Allen! Your eye's back!"
"Looks like it." Allen said. I have decided to continue along this path. I have to strengthen my resolve, to match the commitment that comes with this coat, and the commitment I have made to Kuri. I will keep my promise!