The night was still fairly young when Shuuichi dropped Kiyoni off at her home and he felt relieved to know she was safe despite the recent waves of murder going around town. Speaking of that, a terrified scream that echoed within the neighborhood caught Shuuichi's attention.

"Somebody help me!"

Vigilant, Shuuichi ran towards the action. Across the street, he witnessed a three-eyed, brightly-skinned yokai running down the walkway. In his hand held a solo grocery bag from a recent trip to the store and a couple of items fell out of the bag as he turned the corner.

What's going on, Shuuichi thought.

His question was answered when he noticed a feminine figure cloaked in black running after the unknown man. The only feature that stood out was the pink bow hanging on a braided ponytail. There's only one person Shuuichi knew that had that type of hairstyle.

Natsume? The chase was on.

Two blocks into the marathon and the stranger turned into an alleyway, tripping over a garbage bag and falling onto the ground.

"Time to repent for your sins, deviant creature," said the woman with energy-laced hands.

"Please," the man pleaded, "I'm...I'm just a family man. I have two little ones at home without a mother. Please, I beg of you!"

"Receive the Lord, our God, as your savior and I will be merciful. Refuse and ye shall burn in the fiery pits of Hell."

"Okay, okay! I'll do whatever you say! Please don't kill me!"

"Natsume," Shuuichi called from behind, "What are you doing?"

"The Lord's great work," she replied, "All who accept Christ as the one, true savior shall enter the gates of His kingdom. Those who turn down God's love shall burn in the lake of fire and brimstone."

"Natsume, you know this isn't the way to go. Exodus 20:13: Thou shalt not kill. Remember that?"

Natsume raised her arms as if to strike, "This man is a lost soul. He must repent now!"

"I'm repenting, I'm repenting," the man emphasized.

"Natsume, don't," Shuuichi insisted, "This isn't right and you know that. If he wants to embrace God's love, he will do so on his own. We cannot force His will upon others. Natsume, please listen to me."

Natsume turned to face her brother in Christ, eyes glowing as brightly pink as her hands.

Shocked, Shuuichi took a step back, "Natsume...what…?"

"If you won't join our crusade," Natsume charged, "then you don't deserve to live!"

Shuuichi dove away to dodge the oncoming attack but Natsume was relentless, following through with some kickboxing combos. It was a good thing Father Shinobu taught the young Deacon some combat skills or else Natsume's energy would've been deadly to Shuuichi.

"Natsume, please. We shouldn't be fighting against each other," Shuuichi grabbed her arm and flung her over, "Stop this! Stop this right now!"

Natsume struggled to break free. Shuuichi was proving to be stronger than he was letting on.

"The Lord...is my savior. Long as I have him...I will not FAIL!"

Because her opponent was sitting on her back and one of her arms was in an armbar, Natsume used her free hand to launch both Shuuichi and herself into the air with an energy blast. She landed gracefully while Shuuichi landed on his back but was quick to get back on his feet. Round two was set to begin.

"CONFESS YOUR SINS!"

"NATSUME, NO," with an outstretched hand, Shuuichi summoned a blade of a snake plant that was from a nearby apartment, piercing the side of Natsume's body with a force similar to being stabbed with a knife.

The injury forced Natsume to collapse on the ground clutching her wound.

"Natsume," Shuuichi called again, "Sister Natsume! Hang on, I'm gonna get you some help."

He dialed the emergency line like it was on speed dial while making sure Natsume didn't bleed out, Shuuichi wondered where he had gotten the strength to do what he just did and if it was even believable.

At the hospital, Shuuichi explained everything to Father Shinobu upon arrival via a phone call. Fortunately, Natsume will make it out okay leaving everyone wondering just what is going on with Shuuichi.

The next morning, Shuuichi met with Shinobu and Touya in Shinobu's office. Touya was genuinely interested in Shuuichi's latest meeting with Kiyoni but wasn't expecting the things he was about to hear. He was attentive and worried but his facial features came off as judgemental.

"Okay. Tell us again what happened," Shinobu offered, "Make sure to go slow and to not leave out any details."

"I swear, Father, I told you everything I remember," Shuuichi recited, still overcoming the shock, "I escorted Miss Kiyoni home, then on my way to the train, I noticed Sister Natsume chasing after someone. I caught them in an alleyway where it looked like she was going to attack that man. The look in her eyes...I never seen anyone look like that before. Not only that, but she was completely opposite of how I knew her. She was combative, zealous, and militant. There was absolutely nothing I could do, verbally, to stop her."

"Okay so where does the thing with the plant come in," Touya wondered.

"I'm getting to that. So, we're fighting on a sidewalk and her attacks were vicious, relentless. I knew she was well-trained since we fought a few times before. I managed to find an opening by flinging her over my shoulder and putting her in an armbar position but she took the upper hand by shooting off a blast of energy. Just as she was about to come for me again, a snake plant leaf flung at her and stabbed her. All I did was hold my hand out like this and...that was that."

Father questioned, "You mentioned something about her eyes. What did her eyes look like?"

Shuuichi shuddered to think, "Father, they...they were...glowing. They were filled with such fury and determination. They had no life to them like her normal frame of mind just wasn't there. Like she was-"

"In a trance of some sort?"

"Yes! Exactly! Father, could she be the one behind those recent slayings? If so, then considering how close we were to where Kiyoni lives, the latter may be in considerable danger!"

Touya mumbled, "Hmpf. And you're not considering whom you're associating with?"

Shinobu inquired further, "And where was all of this?"

Shuuichi answered, "Eh...it was...I believe within the Hommachi ward? In Shibuya?"

Shinobu nodded, assuring, "Relax, Deacon Shuuichi. I'm sure your new-found friend is safe and what happened last night was a coincidence. As far as Sister Natsume is concerned, that I can't say for sure. However, I will visit her sometime today to check on her condition and talk to her about last night then."

"What can we do in the meantime," Shuuichi inquired.

"In the meantime, you two can prepare the church for our guests. Remember, we have a choir coming in from the Americas. Sister Yukina among others are already preparing meals for the weekend. I'm sure you're available to contribute, Deacon?"

"Oh, yes, of course. If I have it, I'll provide it."

"Good. Now, if you will excuse us, Brother Touya and I need to have our own discussion. Blessings to you, Deacon."

"Same to you, Father. Brother Touya," Shuuichi left the office still thinking about last night.

From Kiyoni's performance at Aphrodisia to his bout with Natsume to a...recently discovered ability? No. Shuuichi doesn't have any abilities. He's human...or is he?

"Brother Touya," Shinobu spoke.

"Yes," Touya replied.

"I am the alpha and the Omega. The beginning and end."

As if on cue, Touya returned to that previous trance as discussed before, "Yes, Father."

"We will go to the hospital where Sister Natsume is and deliver a message. She may have failed her mission but I will not hold it against her. Considering the proximity of one of our prizes, we will try again some other time."

"Yes, Father. And what of the rest of our clan?"

Shinobu grinned with pride over the latest news. If he can take down one of the strongest, sinful yokai in existence, there's no telling what he could do.

"The rest will prepare for the upcoming weekend. Since we will be welcoming international guests, it's best that they know that we have the upper hand in God's army and that God is our strength."

Within that same morning, giggles echoed throughout Kiyoni's apartment. She was telling her side of things concerning her performance from the previous night.

"On Geb's earth, you should've seen his face," Kiyoni cajoled as she told her story, "His jaw was so low, he could catch flies. I had to tell him to drink just to keep his mouth from going dry."

Juri laughed via a video call, "OMG. I told you he was a virgin. Clueless to the power of the vagina. So...did you?"

"Did I, what?"

"You know…"

"Ugh. Ausar, take the damn wheel! No. I couldn't."

Juri spoke in an annoyed tone, "Why not? You had him right there."

"I just...couldn't! The feeling wasn't right."

"How so?"

"Juri...he's...he's just different. Definitely not like the others. Others see me and...they want to whip their dicks out on sight. I don't mind so long as I get what I need from it. With Shuuichi...he's…I think he has a different need."

"What do you mean, different?"

"What I mean is...he has something that I need that's different from the usual."

"And that is…?"

"...I don't know. Companionship? A sense of reality? Of direction?"

"Well, I hope you figure it out. You don't have much time."

"YoU dOn'T hAvE mUcH tImE. Juri, I have until Valentine's Day, okay? That's plenty of time."

"Not according to Aiko, it's not."

"She'll live. Not like her humongous tits are gonna burst any time soon. Not only that but she has two sugar daddies. She will be okay."

"So, what's your next move?"

"Well, Shuuichi gave me the task of planning the next date."

"Ooh. How cute. Knowing you, it's gonna be hella fun."

"Of course because that's what I am. Hella. Fun. Hey, is the Lambo still around?"

"Been sitting in the garage for the last few months so long as we're still making payments."

"Good. I think I'm going to pull it out one of these nights."

"And take Shuuichi for a ride in it? Kiyoni, you're gonna send him to the hospital for a heart attack, in that thing."

"At least his blood will be pumping," Kiyoni teased with a smirk.

Juri giggled, "You're impossible."

"No, I'm determined. I will pop that man's cherry in more ways than one come Hell or high water!"

Two weeks have passed since the first date. Within that time, Shuuichi and Kiyoni have been in regular contact with each other via text and personal visits including a stop at a karaoke bar or two. Kiyoni was impressed by Shuuichi's singing voice. Then there was a laser tag play date where Shuuichi was quite the marksman as he defeated Kiyoni in a best two-out-of-three, one-on-one match. Though the times were fun, neither could bring themselves to divulge the secrets they've kept from one another. With Shuuichi developing more and more of his abilities and Kiyoni feeling the pressure of the bounty placed on her body, it's becoming more and more difficult to freely open up to each other in fear of judgment. Doesn't kill the spark between them though. To prove it, Shuuichi made the first move by inviting Kiyoni to join him for a movie night at the church.

"Movie night," Kiyoni repeated, "At the church? What's the night's feature? The Ten Commandments?"

"It's a surprise," Shuuichi said over the phone, "I'll provide the snacks and drinks. You provide...well, yourself."

"Seriously? What's wrong with just going to the movies?"

"Nothing. This movie in particular is...a bit more sentimental than what's out there."

"Okay, okay. You had me at 'snacks and drinks'. What time should I come around?"

"19:00. Dress comfortably."

"Ooh, I'll bring my special blanket."

Shuuichi laughed in his throat, "I'll see you then."

At her apartment, Kiyoni planned out her outfit for tonight. Shuuichi requested something comfortable. Just how comfortable would she get?

Enough to wear no makeup and her favorite onesie underneath her coat as Kiyoni approached the church compound. Blanket in hand and a matching bonnet in her purse, Kiyoni waited for Shuuichi to pop up.

"Kiyoni," he called, "Hey."

"Hey. I'm here."

"I see. Welcome."

"So what's the movie?"

"Later. I want to show you something first. Care to join me in my sanctuary?"

"Ooh. I like the way you think. Lead the way."

In the greenhouse, Shuuichi made a beeline for the marijuana section, pulling out a random jar of weed.

"Oh, shit," Kiyoni realized, "If I had known we were doing that, I would've brought more stuff."

"Sorry. My fault. We can share my bowl if you wish."

"Confession. Never used a bowl before."

"And you had the gall to ask me to make you one," Shuuichi laughed again, "You're hilarious, Kiyoni. It's fine, though. I can teach you how to use a bowl."

I'm willing to teach you a few things, myself, when I get the chance. "Okay."

The two found a comfortable spot to smoke which was on a stack of throw pillows Shuuichi acquired. Kiyoni got cozy with Shuuichi's space, allowing him to wrap his arms around her.

"Okay. What you want to do is this. First, you load it up like so. You can load it up just by placing an entire bud inside but if it's grounded like this, you would have to pack it in to get the full effect."

"Like when I roll a joint?"

"Yes, like when you roll a joint. Okay, now that it's packed in, you want to hold it with this finger covering this side opening. See?"

"May I?"

"Sure. Are you right-handed or left?"

"Left."

"Okay, so you would hold it with the thumb of your left hand covering the opening."

Kiyoni demonstrated, "Like this?"

"Yep. Just like that. Step three is to light it," Shuuichi handed over a disposable lighter, "With your thumb covering the opening, you're going to set the bud on fire."

"Like this?"

"No, no. You don't want to light it that way. Turn the lighter so that the ignition button is facing the bowl. The opposite way will burn your pretty nails. I know from experience."

"Aww. You think my nails are pretty? Just got a French manicure last week. About time they grew long enough to do something with them."

"Kiyoni, they're more than pretty. They're gorgeous...just like their owner," Shuuichi blushed upon that confession but his facial expression stood by those words, "Besides, I like your natural beauty."

Kiyoni looked back and thought it was absolutely adorable for Shuuichi to act the way he's acting, "...Thank you. So the bowl is loaded, I got my thumb on the opening. The lighter is turned over. What's next?"

"Put the pipe part to your mouth and cover that opening with your tongue."

Kiyoni did as instructed.

"Now," Shuuichi disclosed, "light the bud, all of it. Allow the smoke to collect in the pipe. Then, whenever you're ready, inhale."

Kiyoni followed the instructions to a T. In one fell swoop, she inhaled all the smoke that was collected in that pipe and exhaled feeling like she reached an entirely new level.

"Wow."

"Congratulations. You just learned a new technique."

"Awesome. Is this what you wanted to show me?"

"Well, not exactly. Though, it was nice teaching you that trick. What I actually wanted to show you was this." Shuuichi led Kiyoni towards his flowers.

"What's here?"

"Something I've been picking up on for the last couple of weeks. Observe."

He hovered a hand over a budding chrysanthemum and as if on cue, the flower opened and closed on it's own.

"Whoa. How did you do that?"

"I don't know. Look at this."

Shuuichi did the same for a few other flowers all at once. With a wave of his hands, all of his flowers opened and closed in ascending and descending order, like waves washing on the shore.

Kiyoni couldn't believe it, "Shuuichi...this is awesome! And you're doing this?"

"Yes. I can't believe it, myself."

"But how are you doing this?"

"That's the thing. I'm not sure."

"How did you…? How did you know you could do this?"

"It started about a couple of weeks ago. I had gotten into an altercation with Sister Natsume not far from your apartment. Anyway, Natsume and I fought and just before she came to attack me, I summoned a random snake plant leaf and stabbed her with it."

"Holy shit! Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She had intestinal damage but she'll pull through. Thing is, she doesn't remember the confrontation."

"Um, I think getting intestinal damage from a leaf would be pretty memorable if you ask me."

"Agreed but ever since then, I've been practicing this...skill."

"Does anyone else know about this? I mean, it sounds like something you would talk to another yokai about."

Shuuichi looked at Kiyoni as if she just said something completely redundant.

"I meant another yokai here," she clarified.

"Other than discussing the initial attack with Father Shinobu and Brother Touya, I haven't. You're the first, outside of the church, to know. What do you think this means?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I think it's cool that you're developing this new ability but I don't have a clue what this means."

Shuuichi sighed, "Well...I guess it'll have to be saved for another time. Let's go watch that movie."

"Okay!"

They've made it to the community area of the dormitory to get comfortable for the night. It had everything typical of a collegiate community space. Two plush chairs, one of them a recliner, a three-seater couch, a small table for drinks, snacks, and board games, and a 35" flat screen on a tv stand that came with WiFi and a Fire stick for entertainment which Shuuichi was setting up.

"That," Shuuichi humorously questioned as he observed his guest, "You chose to wear that?"

"What," Kiyoni argued as she sat down her coat, "You said wear something comfortable." She was wearing a full-body, form-fitting, cookie monster onesie.

"Cookie monster?"

"I like cookies!"

Shuuichi couldn't help but laugh. He thought Kiyoni was hilariously adorable. As she turned to reach inside her purse to grab her bonnet, Shuuichi noticed the butt flap of Kiyoni's outfit where it displayed the beloved character eating a cookie and it made the deacon guffaw even more.

"Wait...wait…a...oh, no. I cannot...I can, I cannot. The butt flap...I can't...I can't breathe…"

"Haha. Go ahead. Get it out of your system."

"Kiyoni, I...oh, god, help me. I need to breathe. Fortunate-...fortunately, for you, I got these. A fresh pack of-"

"Chips Ahoy! Yum! Please say you have milk. Almond milk, preferably."

"Yes, I remembered your cattle-free rule. I like how those cookies…" Shuuichi chuckled again, "match your outfit!"

Chuckles turned to full-on laughter.

"Ha ha. What else did you get?"

"Hahahahahahaha…Popcorn, M&Ms, and a liter of Sprite and Coca-Cola. If you don't like Coca-Cola, I'll be more than happy to take it off your hands as I mainly bought it for myself."

"Have at it. I like Sprite."

Composure restored, Shuuichi cleared his throat, "Cool. Let me go pop some popcorn and we'll be ready to go."

"Okay."

While Shuuichi was away, a mother and her son entered the room. Mom looked quite exhausted as she led her child inside by the hand.

"Mommy, I wanna watch TV," said the boy.

"Not now," said the mother, "Someone else is using it."

"But I wanna watch it now."

"I said no. Now let's get you inside and ready for bed."

"Nooooo!"

Kiyoni heard the boy's cries and felt bad. Hopefully, what she does next will ease the situation.

"Excuse me, ma'am," she gestured.

The mother looked down from the stairs, "Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you. Would it be alright if I share some cookies with your son?"

The boy cheers, "Cookies!"

"Sure," the woman smiled, "We just had dinner anyway."

The boy continued to cheer as he pranced down the stairs. He grabbed two cookies but Kiyoni insisted that he take three. Full of glee, the boy reunited with his mother, thanking Kiyoni along the way.

"Bless you," said the mother.

"You're welcome," Kiyoni responded, "Have a good night." Returning to the couch, Kiyoni was startled upon seeing Shuuichi with a smile of approval, "What?"

"I saw that," he admitted.

"The boy wanted to watch TV and couldn't. I figured he'd get something for his trouble. Plus, his mom looked really out of it."

"That was nice of you."

"News flash, Shuuichi. There are yokai out there with kindness in their hearts and it's not because they believe in God."

"I know. Still, what you did was admirable."

"So will I finally know what movie we're about to watch?"

"Yes. It's this."

Tonight's special feature: Romeo and Juliet.

Kiyoni rolled her eyes, "Why did I even ask?"

Kiyoni unfolded her blanket and wrapped it around herself. With an abundance of snacks before her, she's quite comfortable sitting on one side of the couch and Shuuichi occupying the other.

When the movie ended, the two were left wondering what to do next. They practically destroyed the popcorn and there was still plenty of candy, cookies, and soda to go around. Sprite, specifically as Shuuichi commandeered the cola as forewarned.

"Well," Kiyoni concluded, "I see why you like that movie so much."

"I know, right? Such a good movie."

"...Meh."

"Meh?! Did you just say meh?"

"I've seen better."

"Like what?"

"Hm. The Notebook, 10 Things I Hate About You…"

"You know that one was also based on a Shakespearean play."

"I did not. Mm, Brown Sugar, Love Jones…"

"Never heard of those."

"Perks of having a Black-American mother, I guess. More diverse entertainment and education."

"Okay, okay. You've made your point. At least I got a chance to watch my favorite movie with you."

"I guess you'll have to watch my favorite movies with me next time."

"Will that count as a second date?"

"Does tonight count?"

"No. Just two friends hanging out with each other."

"Then, no. Another movie night is not a second date. I'm still planning that out."

"Darn."

Kiyoni giggled, "Well...I guess I should be heading home now. Tonight was fun."

"Do you have to?"

"Well, yeah. Unless you had other plans."

"Don't."

"What," Kiyoni gathered her things.

"Don't go. Stay here. You can sleep in my room for tonight."

"And where will you sleep?"

Shuuichi patted the couch, "Here. It's fine."

Kiyoni was touched by the offer, "Shuuichi, I can't let you do that."

"I don't want to hear it. After what's been going on for the last few weeks and after what happened just two weeks ago… Kiyoni, just...just stay here tonight, okay? You can use my bed and I'll sleep down here."

Kiyoni had to think about things for a moment. If she stays, she gets to sleep in Shuuichi's bed and may have a chance to get him to join her, thus inching closer to her goal. If she leaves, she may run into another, random yokai killer...and miss out on obtaining her goal. It was a no-brainer in the end.

"Alright...I'll stay. Only because you insisted."

"Thank you. My room is just upstairs. Come with me."

And so, Kiyoni followed her host upstairs with the biggest smirk on her face ever made. Fortunately, for all parties involved, the bonnet she wore masked the horns she was partially protruding. The plan was in motion. Now it's time to follow through.