A/N: Well, here's the second part of The Awakening, hope you guys enjoy.
It was the middle of the night at a string of disused warehouses near the waterfront of the Koto ward, and the area was surrounded by a convoy of police vehicles and armoured vans. The police, along with the ICEP had conducted a raid on these warehouses upon discovering the criminal operation taking place there. As a number of police SWAT teams continued to siege the area alongside with MON, Ms Smith, as well as Sergeant Ogawa were leading the operation as best they could from the barricade of vehicles. The officer was shouting orders down the radio in an attempt to control the chaos in front of him, while the government agent stood there stoically, waiting to hear back from her team.
"Keep up the pressure, they've got nowhere to run!" The man commanded, which was responded with various confirmation from all his teams.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Ms Smith said offhandedly as she stared at the warehouses with worry, concerned about what might be waiting for her team.
"You needn't worry, we've got those bastards trapped like rats." The officer replied with a smirk on this face. "This job is as good as done."
Kuroko took her sunglasses off as she continued to stare at the warehouses with a look of worry on her face. "Let's just hope it is a simple clean-up job."
From the corner of her eye, she noticed a small SWAT team heading towards them, noticing that they were escorting one of her MON agents, Kasumi, along with a green scaled echidna. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognised the girl slithering towards her, and she turned to face the group along with the sergeant.
"Sir, we found them trying to make their way out of the back entrance of the nearest warehouse, says that the echidna has important information for you." The SWAT team's captain explained to the officer in charge.
"Good work everyone, continue your assault." Ogawa commanded before the SWAT team saluted him and made their leave.
"Roxanne is that you?" Smith asked as she walked up to the echidna and empusa.
"Hey, it's been a while." The reptilian answered in a guilt-ridden tone. "Sorry for causing you so much trouble…"
"It's okay, you're safe now." The government agent responded in a caring tone to help put the girl at ease. She then turned her attention towards the shinobi as a worried look dominated her face once more. "What's going on in there, Kasumi?"
"Senpai is alive and well, though we have a problem concerning Takahashi." The empusa replied as she was slightly trembling at this point. "It seems like he has been possessed by some otherworldly spirit, and as a result has become an especially dangerous threat."
Kuroko was shocked. In all her years working for the ICEP, she had never once come across or even heard about a case involving an ethereal species of liminal whatsoever. For one to show up now to cause trouble unsettled her greatly, seeing that even MON wasn't equipped to handle such a threat. She tried her best to calm herself down as she focused on her subordinate once more.
"Is it just Takahashi?" She questioned.
"I believe so from what I've seen, though he'll still be difficult to handle, Ma'am."
The human then turned her attention to the echidna, hopeful that she had some answers. "Roxanne?"
Roxanne looked up at her old coordinator as she started to tremble with fear too. "There are a few other liminals around, but the spirit possessing Takahashi is the only one that I'm aware of." The woman explained as best as she could.
Smith nodded at her as she turned to face the shinobi once more. "Where are Zombina and the others?"
"They found Senpai, but they're currently engaged with Takahashi, and it doesn't look good…" Kasumi answered as worry took over her features.
"Shit…" The government agent muttered to herself. "Things couldn't possibly get any worse.
Just as she said that a large explosion came from the side of one of the warehouses nearby, which grabbed everyone's attention. The group looked over with worry as they noticed sparks of red energy coursing through the smoke that accompanied it.
"The hell was that?!" Ogawa exclaimed in surprise.
Ms Smith immediately reached for her radio and called through to her sniper. "Observer, status!"
About a mile away, on one of the taller buildings in the area, Manako laid in position as she stared wide-eyed down her rifle at the sight she just saw. She couldn't believe what she was seeing and was frozen on the spot as her body trembled with fear.
"Manako! I need a status report, now!" Kuroko shouted through her earpiece with worry.
The monoeye took a moment to recompose herself as she reached for her earpiece to report her findings. "Th-Th-The team has engaged with Takahashi, b-b-b-but the explosion…" She trailed off as she tried to comprehend what she just witnessed. "…I-I-I think it was caused by Yuuto…"
Back in the warehouse, the tension was building as Yuuto and Fukuda continued to stare each other down. The revenant was seething with rage at this newest turn of events. If not for Roxanne's betrayal the blonde wouldn't be a concern right now, but as it was, the young human had now tapped into this new power of his, making the task of killing him all the more difficult. The MON agent continued to give the possessed man his death glare as the chaotic energy continued to course throughout his body and around Black Lotus. He had many questions to ask about his new abilities and even more about why he possessed them to begin with, but none of that mattered right now. The revenant in front of him posed a great threat, and right now Yuuto was the only one capable of dealing with him. Lala was still resting against the stone pillar as she looked up at her newly awakened boyfriend. She always had a feeling that he stood out amongst other mortals, and now she had an inkling as to why that was the case. Blare and Zombina were still in awe of what their squad mate had just pulled off as they tried to cope with their current injures.
"…Holy crap, Stud…" The hellhound finally uttered to herself as she tried her best to sit up straight despite the pain she was in.
The zombie just let a massive toothy grin plaster her face, proud of what her fellow squad captain had just achieved. "Beesh always has to show off, doesn't he?"
"Well, we kind of need him to right now." Blare replied offhandedly as she couldn't break her gaze away from her squad captain, letting a warm smile creep onto her lips as she did so.
Yuuto could barely contain his anger as he tried to adapt to the power causing through him, the only thing keeping him in control right now was focusing on the task at hand.
"Me Love?"
His concentration broke as he looked back at Lala, seeing her face full of worry as she continued to hold he head in her arms protectively. The MON agent couldn't bare to worry her any more than he already had, so he smiled back lovingly at her in an attempt to reassure her.
"Hey Babe, are you doing okay there?" He spoke in a caring tone, despite the reverberation of his voice caused by his surging power.
The dullahan smiled back at him lovingly as she let tears of joy trickle down her face, happy that he was still the man she loved despite his transformation. "Aye, I'll be alright." She replied as she tried to keep herself composed.
The blonde nodded back at her. "Good. Listen, it looks like shit is going to go down real soon, so I need you to get out of here and take Blare and Zee with you."
The young reaper gave him a look of worry as she placed her head back on her shoulders. "But Yuuto, despite this change in ye, ye do nay possess the ability tae send that vengeful spirit tae it's final resting place." She started as she stood to her feet, her armour, cape and hood rematerializing as she did so. "Please, allow me tae-"
"No, I need you to get Blare and Zee out of here for now, plus I don't want any of you getting hurt any more than you already have, please." He replied in a stern tone.
Lala stayed silent for a moment before nodding to him. "As ye wish, but I shall return tae assist ye in yer task o' vanquishing this deadly foe."
Fukuda stayed silent until finally, a sinister grin appeared on his face as he started laughing to himself, which caught the blonde's and dullahan's attention. "It seems like you've finally awakened, Yuuto. I hadn't actually planned on this, but it doesn't change my plans at all." He said as he brought his ethereal katana into existence once more and pointed the blade towards the young man. "You're still going to die here." He continued in a menacing tone.
Yuuto smirked back at him as he held his weapon in both hands and readied a fighting stance once more. "I don't know what's happening to me right now, but all I know is that I'm going to use it to beat you down and send you back to the other side where you belong, Fukuda." He replied confidently as the chaotic energies continued to reverberate every syllable he spoke, it was almost like a demon was speaking in unison with him.
"Don't get overconfident just because you got a power boost, Boy."
His face took on a serious look as he glanced back at his girlfriend. "Lala, go, now."
The young reaper reluctantly nodded in response as she started to make her way to their friends. The revenant took notice of this and decided that he wasn't about to let any of them leave with their lives.
"Oh, no you don't!" He yelled as he sent several ethereal tendrils surging towards the girl.
Before Lala could take notice of what was going on, Yuuto rushed in between them like a blur and simultaneously slashed through all three tendrils in an instant with Black Lotus, much to the annoyance of the possessed man. "Too slow." He said out loud as he locked eyes with the possessed man and gave him a death glare once more.
"But how?! How has he adapted to his powers so quickly!" Fukuda screamed internally to himself as he stared back at the blonde with barely contained rage.
As the pair resumed their stare down, the young reaper reached both Blare and Zombina as she knelt down to the undead woman's side. "Zombina, are ye alright?" She asked in a worried tone.
"Don't worry, Headless. I've gotten through worse just fine." The redhead replied with a toothy grin.
The hellhound just barely managed to stand onto her paws before she slowly made her way to them, still clutching an arm around her chest. "We'll be fine, though I'll need you to carry Zombina out for me. I can carry her arms and weapons at the very least."
Lala nodded back at her before she wrapped an arm around Zombina's back and proceeded to help lift her to her feet. "Very well, but we must make haste. A calamity is about tae take place here."
"Yeah, sucks that I can't watch Beesh kick ass though." The zombie replied offhandedly as she was escorted out by the dullahan.
Before the group left, Blare looked back at her captain one last time and shouted to him. "Hey, Stud! Show that ghostly bastard who's boss!" She exclaimed in an attempt to psyche her captain up.
Yuuto smirked to himself at her encouraging words. "Don't worry, Trouble. We'll be back home before you know it."
The hellhound gave him a warm smile before she followed Lala and Zombina out of the warehouse. With the girls gone, the blonde could finally focus solely on the revenant in front of him. Even with his new powers, he knew that this was going to be a challenging fight.
Yuuto readied his fighting stance once more as he gave the possessed man a grim look. "Now, I think it's time I put an end to this, Fukuda. I'm not going to let you hurt anyone anymore."
In a fit of rage, the revenant shot out several more tendrils from his back and sent them rushing towards the blonde agent. "FUCK YOU, BOY! I'M GOING TO ENJOY RIPPING YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!" He shouted furiously.
As the tendrils were about to strike the young man, he dodged to the right like a flash at the last second and avoided the strikes. He then rushed towards his foe, his new powers allowing him to propel himself forwards with great speed. Fukuda barely had time to react as he raised his ethereal katana to block the strike from the MON agent's weapon. The force behind the strike was incredible and he was actually pushed back several feet by it, only just managing to stay on his feet. The revenant sent out more tendrils to strike at Yuuto, but the blonde easily repelled each successive strike with a slash of his blade with his now inhuman reactions. Yuuto surged forwards towards the possessed man once more as their katanas clashed against each other. They started to strike and parry each other with incredible speed, their attacks looking like a blur to the naked eye. Fukuda tried to blindside the young man with one of his tendrils during the flurry of attacks, but Yuuto leapt back onto the rubble behind him to avoid getting hit, only for him to jump back at his foe and deliver a roundhouse kick to the revenant's head. Fukuda looked back at him in anger and managed to swing a tendril from underneath the blonde while he was still mid-air, sending him flying into the air. Now with his target unable to dodge, he sent forth a swarm of tendrils to rip him to pieces.
"NOW DIE!"
Yuuto looked down at all the tendrils surging towards him, knowing full well that he couldn't avoid them this time. In a fit of frustration, he let out a yell of anguish, unwittingly letting out a burst of chaotic energy around him. The tendrils vaporized as they made contact with the veil of crimson lightning surrounding the MON agent. The possessed man looked up in both horror and rage at his failed attempt to kill the blonde, surprised by the outcome. Yuuto flipped mid-air and his feet landed against one of the ceiling's support beams before pushing against it and launching himself back towards his adversary, which bent the beam in the process. Fukuda quickly dodged to the side back towards the rubble as he barely avoided being struck by the agent's fist. With a menacing look on his face, he raised his katana with both hands over his head and prepared to strike down the young man.
"I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL!" The revenant screamed triumphantly, thinking his victory was at hand over him.
Yuuto was still crouched on the floor after landing from his attack, but in an instant he stood up and performed an upwards slash with Black Lotus, cleaving a long shallow gash in the possessed man's chest. Blood spilt forth from Takahashi's chest as Fukuda looked down at the injury in horror. While he was distracted, the MON agent thrust his left hand forwards and grasped the man's face hard, looking back at him with his piercing crimson gaze.
"It's over." The blonde muttered under his breath.
Suddenly he sent a surge of crimson lightning from his hand as he struck the revenant with the chaotic energy, practically electrocuting him. Fukuda screamed in agony as the energy surged through Takahashi's body until eventually the blue aura surrounding him faded and he blacked out. Satisfied, Yuuto let go of the man and let him fall onto his back onto the pile of rubble behind him. The MON agent took a few steps back and panted to himself as she crouched down onto one knee and propped himself up with his katana as he struck the tip of the blade into the concrete floor. With that, he shut his eyes for a moment and the crimson lightning that was coursing through him dissipated. His eyes opened once more and had returned to their natural blue, his pupils now back to their black orbs and the sclera their natural white. He looked down at his left hand and stared at it in awe, still unable to comprehend what he had done during that fight.
"What the hell is happening to me?" He questioned to himself internally.
Before he could think on it more, he heard Fukuda's maniacal laughter once more, but it was just his voice unaccompanied by Takahashi's. Yuuto looked up to see that Gaku himself was unconscious and his body still lying on his back on top of the rubble. Slowly, an ethereal being emerged from the man's chest, its form that of a hulking monstrosity with large claws and a monstrous face with many tendrils protruding from its back. It loomed over the former Yakuza's body from his chest as it stared down at the MON agent menacingly. Yuuto knew it was Fukuda, but it didn't even look human anymore.
"It seems that Takahashi wasn't capable of handling what I had to offer, but your body… It will make a fine vessel…" It spoke in a menacing tone.
The blonde looked up in anguish and he struggled to stand himself up as he raised Black Lotus in both hands and pointed the blade at the spirit. He tried to call forth the energy that coursed through him before, but he was unable to summon it.
"C'mon, not now!" Yuuto screamed at himself internally as panic began to set in.
"I WILL HAVE MY VENGEANCE, BOY, AND YOU SHALL BE THE VESSEL TO ACHIEVE IT!" Fukuda shouted as he surged all his tendrils to capture the young man.
The blonde was ready to strike at the incoming tendrils, but as they were only a few feet in front of him they suddenly froze in place, much to his confusion. Fukuda's entire form froze on the spot, unable to move for whatever reason. He could feel a searing sensation near where his being was protruding from Takahashi's chest and he looked down to find the black blade of a scythe piercing through him. Fear struck his very core as the revenant looked behind him in horror to find the young reaper from before standing atop the rubble with the scythe held in one hand, the moonlight shining behind her as the girl looked back at him with a judging gaze.
"Yer invasion o' the mortal coil ends here, Spirit." Lala spoke up in a grim tone.
Yuuto was still panting from the exhaustion that flooded his body as his face was now filled with relief at his girlfriend's return. He thought to himself that she had a knack for dramatic timing.
"NO! IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS!" Fukuda screamed as he locked eyes with the dullahan.
"A vengeful spirit like yerself does nay belong on this side. Ye have had yer time." Lala spoke in her persona as she stood there steadfast. With that, she grabbed the shaft of Crescent Shadow with both hands as prepared to cast down judgement on the ethereal being.
"I'M NOT FINISHED!" He screamed once more as he tried to lash at her with one of his claws, but he was incapable of moving the limb, unable to move an inch probably due to the sealing magic emanating from the shadowy scythe.
"Vile spirit! It is time ye faced yer eternal judgement!" The young reaper shouted as she proceeded to slash her scythe through his very being, severing his connection to Takahashi's body.
With that Fukuda's form slowly started to dissipate as he let out a scream of pain and anguish. The claw he tried to lash at the dullahan with started to slowly crumble into nothingness, as to the tendrils that tried to strike at the MON agent. It slowly dawned on the revenant that his time was finally up as his face began to dissipate.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo…"
With that, the spirit had faded from the mortal world, never to torment the living ever again. Lala smirked to herself as her armour, cape and hood, as well as Crescent Shadow, dissipated into shadows that disappeared into the night, revealing her outfit from before, her duty fulfilled for the time being. She then looked down at where her boyfriend was standing and gave him a loving smile. Yuuto stared back at her in awe as he lowered his katana to his side, amazed at what the young reaper had achieved. It didn't take him long to return a loving smile of his own, happy to see Lala once more.
"Hey Lala, took your damn time." He said to her in a loving tone as he struggled to keep himself standing.
"Me Love…" She replied as tears of joy started to trickle down her cheeks.
Suddenly the human felt himself go weak as he started to topple to one side. A shocked look appeared on Lala's face as she started to make her way down the rubble as fast as she could to be at his side. Yuuto's vision started to fade as he heard her scream his name with worry before blacking out.
Yuuto eventually regained consciousness and found himself laying on his side in a field of flowers he was all too familiar with. He was in Limbo once more, the serene scenery bringing him some peace of mind despite the fact that he was on the verge of death once more. Perhaps the power he had wielded was too much for his body to handle and so here he was, left to contemplate what had happened. As he sat himself up, he noticed that something was off. The other times he found himself in this space, Lala was already there watching over him, but as he glanced around it seemed like his girlfriend was nowhere to be seen. As he looked over his shoulder though, he saw a sight he had not expected. Sat atop a large rock that was embedded in the ground that stood only a few feet high was a woman clad in black armour with gold trimmings from the torso down. She was also wearing a large black robe with the midsection worn under her waist guard, as well as short sleeves that only reached to her elbows and a large hood obscuring her features. Her face was hidden behind a veil of shadow, the only thing protruding from it was a long white braid of hair. The scythe she held in her left hand was an imposing weapon. The shaft was made up of what looked like warped and twisted bones, and at the head of the weapon was a human skull crowned with bony hands with its jaw wide open where a large curved metallic blade protruded from it. It was obvious that this was no normal reaper, though the blonde only had Lala for comparison.
"It seems that ye have reached the end o' yer life, Mortal." The woman spoke in an Irish accent, though similar to Lala, her voice sounded more aged and weathered in comparison.
Yuuto stared wide-eyed at her for a moment before he gave her a cheeky grin. "Sorry to disappoint you, but my girlfriend should be here any minute now. Probably just collapsed from exhaustion I think." He replied as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "But I have to ask, who are you anyway?"
The reaper slammed the shaft of her scythe against the rock she was sitting on, the sound of the stone cracking underneath causing the human to flinch for a moment. The woman then stood up atop the rock as she looked down at him from behind her shadowy veil. "Ye speak tae Death Incarnate." She spoke in a grim tone.
Fear soon welled up in the core of his being and the blonde soon rushed to his feet. He took up a defensive stance as he faced the reaper in front of him. That's when he noticed the crimson lightning coursing around him once more, and unbeknownst to him, his eyes had turned crimson with slit pupils and black sclera once more. Yuuto was distracted by this as he looked himself over with a look of worry on his face, trying to figure out why this was happening to him.
"I see that ye have blood ties with the beings o' the Underworld, but that will nay save ye here." The woman spoke as she got off her rock and started to walk towards him with her scythe in hand.
The MON agent looked back at the reaper and resumed his defensive stance, trying to prevent his soul from being reaped now taking priority. "Sorry, but I still have a life to lead. I can't go with you." He replied with his voice now accompanied by the demonic echo once more. "I need to find out about what's happening to me."
"It is too late fer that, Mortal. Yer time has come." She responded as she readied her scythe for the upcoming fight, ready to take his soul to the afterlife.
"YUUTO!"
The pair were distracted from their potential confrontation as they looked behind the human to see Lala running up the hill towards them in her Limbo attire. Yuuto almost instantly calmed down as he returned to his normal state, his eyes changing back to their natural blue. He relaxed his body as he looked down at her and gave her a loving smile.
"…Lala, what are ye doing here?" The older reaper asked as she relaxed her own stance.
The younger reaper stood in between her boyfriend and the other woman and spread her arms wide in an attempt to protect him. "Mother! I canna allow ye tae reap me Love's soul, I beg o' ye!" Lala protested as she was on the verge of tears.
The blonde's eyes widened in shock at this new information. "What?! Death is your mom?!" He exclaimed in surprise, not quite believing what he just heard.
"Ye misunderstand, me Love." The young dullahan replied as she calmed herself down and looked back at him. "Death is nay a singular entity like ye mortals believe. Me people's purpose as reapers is tae maintain balance between life and death, and the strongest amongst us is named Death Incarnate. They shoulder the heaviest burden amongst us and is unflinching in their convictions. Me mother has slaved tirelessly tae maintain the balance."
"And yet ye risk tae disrupt it, all fer a single soul." The older dullahan spoke up once more. "I must fulfil me duty as Death Incarnate and reap this mortal's soul."
Instinctively Lala rushed over to Yuuto and wrapped her arms tight around his neck as she looked back at her mother with a pouty face. "I canna allow ye tae do that, Mother!" She whined as she tightened her grip on her boyfriend. "His soul is mine tae care over, and I will nay allow him tae pass over yet!"
"Yeah, can't say I'm ready to die just yet. Your daughter would never forgive me if I did." Yuuto spoke up, feeling slightly left out of the conversation that would decide his fate.
Lala's mother continued to glare at the pair unflinchingly. "Ye canna fight against the will o' the Fates. Accept the hand that ye've been dealt."
The young reaper refused to budge as she tightened her grip around the human as the blonde wrapped his arms tight around her waist. The pair stubbornly refused to accept what Death Incarnate had said to them. "If ye wish tae take his soul, then ye must take mine also." Lala replied, still pouting at her mother.
The older reaper started shaking, much to the confusion of the blonde. After a moment the shadowy veil that had covered her face dissipated and she suddenly pulled her hood back, revealing her slightly weathered face and the exact same amber orbs that Lala had. The woman looked like she was also on the verge of tears as she locked eyes with her daughter.
"Lala! Why must ye always be so stubborn?! I am merely trying tae fulfil me purpose, but ye always insist on making it more difficult than it needs tae be!" She exclaimed in a whiny tone, sounding like a child who was having a tantrum.
Lala stood there unflinching, while Yuuto stared at Death Incarnate wide-eyed in shock. "Okay, so the embodiment of Death is a whiny mother who has a tantrum if she doesn't get her way. Not what I expected…" The blonde thought to himself in slight disappointment.
The younger dullahan then let go of him and made her way towards her mother. "If ye understood what me Love and I have been through, then ye'd understand why I must stand against ye on this matter!" She whined back in response. "Why must ye always try tae take away what I desire? I wish tae live me life as I wish tae! That's why I joined the Exchange Program tae begin with!"
"Ye have a responsibility as a reaper tae maintain the balance, not gallivanting off with some strange mortal I do nay know about!"
"And I do me best tae do so, but I wish fer some slither o' happiness as well!"
The pair of dullahans were bickering with each other like a pair of children, and Yuuto was starting to get annoyed with the situation. He walked up to them while they were distracted and proceeded to grab hold of their heads and lift them from their shoulders. The pair looked up at him in mild surprise as the older dullahan's scythe dissipated into nothingness.
"Me Love, what are ye doing?" Lala asked as a light blush took hold of her cheeks.
"H-H-How dare ye touch Death so casually, Mortal! I-I demand that ye return me tae me full potential this instant!" Her mother exclaimed in an embarrassed tone as her own cheeks went bright red.
With their focus now solely on him, the blonde proceeded to bring their heads together and gave them a stern look. "I know the two of you are just doing what you have to do, but it's my choice whether I'm ready to die or not." He started as he focused on his girlfriend. "Lala, I appreciate that you're trying to protect me, but your mom is obviously trying to do what is right in her eyes."
"But Yuuto-" The younger reaper said in a worried tone before being cut off.
"It's okay, I don't plan on going anywhere." He said to her with a warm smile before turning his attention to her mother. "As for you, Miss…" He trailed off, not sure how to address the current embodiment of Death.
"L-L-Lady Death shall suffice…" The older reaper replied, still embarrassed by the position she found herself in.
"Alright, Lady Death. As for you, I know you're just doing your duty, but maybe it wouldn't hurt just to let this soul return to the living world just this one time, especially if it's for your daughter's happiness. Right?" He asked her in a friendly tone.
Lady Death looked away from him and towards her daughter's head as her cheeks went a deeper shade of red. "I-I suppose yer soul still holds a strong connection tae the mortal coil. It would be unjust tae take ye before yer time…"
Lala locked eyes with her mother's as a warm smile graced her lips. "Thank ye fer sparing him, Mother. Ye canna fathom how much it means tae me."
Happy with the response, he held out Lady Death's head as her body proceeded to retrieve it and place it back on her shoulders. As she readjusted her head, she locked eyes with the human once more and gave him a look of bewilderment. "Ye certainly are a strange soul, Mortal."
Yuuto readjusted Lala's head so he held it in his arms as her body moved to his side and wrapped her arms around his closest arm. "Aye, but I would nay have him any other way." The younger dullahan replied in a loving tone as her body cuddled up closer to him.
"Yeah, and I've gotten a lot stranger with this new power-up of mine." He added as he lightly tightened his hold on her head, looking down at her lovingly as she looked up and did the same.
Lady Death couldn't help but let a warm smile cross her lips momentarily. "Very well, I shall grant ye reprieve fer now, but," She said before she rematerialized her scythe and pointed it at the human as her face took on a grim look once more. "the next time yer soul enters this domain, it will be the last time ye do so."
The blonde flinched for a moment with a look of worry on his face. "R-Right, of course…"
"I will make sure that it does nay happen, Mother." Lala added with a serious look on her face.
"And also, Mortal." The older reaper started as she locked eyes with him. "Promise that ye'll use yer power tae continue tae protect me daughter, as ye have done so far."
Yuuto returned her a determined look. "Of course, Lady Death."
Lala's mother smirked back at him. "It pleases me tae hear this." She replied before the veil of shadow covered her face once more. "Until we meet again."
With that, she turned away from them and swung her scythe in front of her. The blade opened up a rift in the space in front of her and she proceeded to walk through it. The rift soon closed behind her, leaving Yuuto and Lala alone in Limbo once more. Lala let a warm smile cross her face, happy with the outcome of their conversation, while the blonde just stood there with a look of confusion on his face.
"…Did your Mom just rip open a hole in time and space?" He asked with a hint of worry in his voice.
"Aye, this is normal fer her, such is the power that is wielded by Death Incarnate." The dullahan replied as her body retrieved her head from her boyfriend's arms, and soon placed it back on her shoulder.
"Yeah, remind me never to get on her bad side…"
Lala giggled to herself for a moment before she planted a kiss on his cheek. "What matters is that ye are safe now, me Love." She said before she stood right in front of him and grasped his hands tight in her own. "Now come, we must leave this place."
"Wait, don't we need to be in the river to get back from here?" Yuuto asked as he quirked an eyebrow at her.
The young reaper's cheeks went bright red as she broke eye contact with him. "…I only did that before because it felt romantic tae do so…" She replied in an embarrassed tone.
The blonde smirked back at her before he pecked her cheek lovingly. "You really are too damn cute sometimes."
As she locked eyes with him once more and gave him a loving smile, pillars of light started to spring from the ground around them and soon threatened to engulf them. She then pressed her lips to his and gave him a loving kiss before they were fully engulfed by the light, ready to be whisked away back to the realm of the living.
Yuuto shut his eyes to block the light, and as soon as he felt it was safe to do so he opened them again, cracking them open slightly to see a pair of fluorescent light above him on the ceiling. He now found himself lying in a hospital bed, wearing a tacky hospital robe to cover his modesty. He had bandages wrapped around his forehead, his arms and around his chest as well as a plaster on his left cheek. He glanced to his left to see Lala sitting to the side of his bed with her hands resting on the bed rails looking down at him lovingly, happy to see him awake finally. Zombina was standing behind her wearing her MON combat fatigues, leaning her back against the wall with her arms crossed under her chest as she gave him her signature grin. He noticed two fresh set of stitches on her forearms where they had been reattached from their most recent injuries.
"Yuuto, are ye alright?" The dullahan asked with a hint of worry as she leaned in closer to him, being careful not to let her head fall from her shoulders.
The blonde smiled back at her as he slowly sat himself up straight, groaning in pain before Lala got to her feet and assisted him so he was sat up straight with his back now resting against the headrest. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's just that my everything hurts right now."
Lala smiled back at him as she moved in closer and wrapped her arms around him and gave him a light hug, which he reciprocated as he wrapped his arms lightly around her chest. "It is good tae see ye back with us." She replied in a loving tone as she nuzzled her cheek against his.
"It's good to be back." He replied as he did the same.
"Damn, Beesh, I knew you were a badass, but you just took it to the next level back there." Zombina spoke up as she moved from the wall and stood to the side of the bed next to Lala. "How long have you been able to do that?"
Lala pulled away from her boyfriend as Yuuto looked up at the redhead with a confused look on his face. "I don't even know what it is that I did, it just happened."
"Well, make it happen more often if you can!" She exclaimed excitedly. "It was almost like watching a Dragonball Z fight!"
"Yeah, except it doesn't get dragged out over several weeks."
The zombie couldn't help but let out a gut-wrenching laugh as she grabbed a hold of her sides. "Damn right it didn't. It was over in a few minutes from what I was told, it'll definitely come in handy for us!"
Just as they were talking, Ms Smith came into the room, followed closely by Dr Suzu Tamura holding a chart in her hands. The government agent looked towards him and gave him a friendly smile as she waved at him. "Bishie-kun, good to see you're finally awake. How're you feeling?"
"Like I ran through a brick wall whilst being electrocuted." He replied sarcastically. "Other than that, I'm just fine."
"Well, you're lucky you're not any more injured than you already are, Kazama." Suzu interjected as she moved to the foot of the bed and looked over her clipboard. "Other than a few fractured bones in your arms and legs, as well as some minor bruising, you're the picture of health. Though I took the liberty of doing a blood test, and you might be surprised with the results."
"Let me guess, I'm not completely human, am I?" He asked in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Nay mere mortal could have achieved what ye did, me Love." Lala interjected as she placed a hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.
"You'd be correct in your assumptions. From what I've found you're in fact half liminal and compared to what we have from our records, you seem to be half devil, likely of the elder subspecies from what your squad mates have told us." Suzu explained to him.
Yuuto clenched his fist as he looked down at it with anger written all over his face. "Which means it's something else Dad has been hiding from me and Hikari all our lives. Fucking bastard…"
"Well, you won't know for certain until you confront him about it." Kuroko piped up as she removed her sunglasses to lock eyes with the blonde agent. "What's important right now is that this now makes you a Hybrid, a human that possesses inhuman qualities like superior strength and the like."
"Is that the official term, Ma'am?"
"Technically the politically correct term is Generational Demi-human, but that's a bit of a mouth full." She answered as she kept a serious look on her face. "This could have serious ramifications on the Interspecies Exchange Bill seeing that there's no mention of hybrids in the accord at all, which makes you a loophole in the system."
The hybrid quirked an eyebrow at his superior. "Loophole? Then does that mean-"
"None of the restrictions between humans and liminals apply to you or any other hybrid right now." Smith interrupted with a smirk on her face. "This could be the break we're looking for."
"Ms Smith," Lala interjected as she locked eyes with the government agent. "Does that mean that Yuuto and I can truly forge our union?" She asked with hope-filled eyes.
"Eventually, yes, and that's what I wanted to talk to the two of you about." She replied as she put her sunglasses back on and moved to the foot of the bed. "There's a good possibility that we can get the two of you to move in together. Lala, you would still be part of the program, but you wouldn't be an exchange student like you were before. The two of you would technically be in a civil partnership."
"Hold up a sec. As much as I'd love Lala to move in with me, I don't think I'd be a very good host with being stuck at work for a good chunk of the day." Yuuto said, voicing his concerns.
"Which is why I have a proposal for our young reaper."
Lala's eyes shot wide open. "What would ye ask o' this Spectre o' Death?"
Kuroko smirked back at her as she lowered her sunglasses to lock eyes with her. "I'd like you to join MON."
The pair stared wide-eyed at the government agent in surprise, not quite believing what she just said. Even Zombina wasn't sure what to make of this development. Wait, are you serious about his, Boss?" The redhead questioned.
"Deadly serious. From what I saw and heard tonight, MON is currently woefully unprepared for spiritual threats." Kuroko started as she took her sunglasses off again and focused on the young reaper. "Lala, you've proved that you're capable of dealing with such a threat, not to mention the combat prowess you've shown so far is exactly what we're looking for right now. Takahashi's possession may be the first we have on record, but I'm certain it won't be the last. Lala O'Reilly, I would like to officially offer you the position of Task Force Agent of MON's Squad Alpha. Would you accept?"
The dullahan was left speechless from what Ms Smith had just said, though as Yuuto glanced to his side, he saw that her cheeks had gone bright red, accompanied by a look of embarrassment on her face. The zombie was snickering to herself for a moment before she let out another gut-wrenching laugh.
"AHAHAHAHAHA! O'REILLY, REALLY?! THAT'S THE MOST GENERIC IRISH SURNAME I EVER HEARD!" She exclaimed loudly as she continued to laugh to herself, holding her sides tight once more to prevent her stitches from coming undone.
"…I had nay choice in the name I was given when I came intae this world…" Lala said in an embarrassed tone as she tried to hide her face behind her scarf.
Yuuto looked up at her and gave her a warm smile. "Well, I honestly think it's kind of cute."
The young reaper's cheeks went a brighter shade of red before she pressed herself up against him and buried her face in his chest as her hands clutched had his hospital robe, letting out an embarrassed groan as she did so. The blonde couldn't help but smirk to himself as he began to stroke her hair gently.
"I'll do it." Lala muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.
The hybrid looked down at his girlfriend with a look of concern on his face. "Babe, no one is pressuring you into joining-"
"I must." She interjected as she looked up at him with a determined look on her face. "Ms Smith is right. What if something like this happens again? As a Spectre o' Death I canna allow that tae happen." She then got off of him and turned to face the raven-haired woman. "And I would gladly do anything tae be with me Love."
Ms Smith smiled at the dullahan as she put her sunglasses back on. "Excellent, you have no idea how much help you'll be for us."
"Aye but understand that I must still perform me duties as a Spectre o' Death." Lala replied as she entered her reaper persona.
"Of course, I would hate to get on your mother's bad side. We can sort out the details another time, but for now, we should get you back home and talk it over with your soon to be former host Darling-kun. There'll be a lot of paperwork to go through." Kuroko explained.
"As ye wish, Ms Smith." She answered with a curt nod before returning to Yuuto to give him a light hug goodbye, which he reciprocated. "Farewell fer now, me Love. Please get better soon."
"See you soon, Lala." He replied in a loving tone.
She pulled back slightly and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before she got up and started following Ms Smith out of the room.
"See you later, Bishie-kun. Try not to take too long healing up." The government agent said while waving a hand at him.
"Seeya later, Beesh!" Zombina exclaimed as she did the same.
"Well, I best let you heal up for now," Suzu started as she was about to make her way out too. "plus, I should let the others see how you're doing." As she made her way out, she looked to her left and let a smile creep onto her face. "You girls can go see him now."
Yuuto had a look of confusion on his face before he saw Blare's face peek around the corner of the room, along with Kasumi, Kestria and Raia as well. The hellhound let a massive grin plaster her face as she wasted no time dashing into the room.
"Stud, you're okay!" She exclaimed joyfully.
Before he could respond, Yuuto felt her press up against him and wrap her arms tightly around his neck, soon followed by her nuzzling her cheek against his. The blonde reciprocated the hug as he wrapped an arm tightly around her back and used his free hand to stroke her hair comfortingly.
"It's good to see you too, Blare." He replied in a soothing tone in an attempt to calm her down.
By this point, Kasumi, Kestria and Raia were now standing at the foot of the bed, all three of them with warm smiles on their faces. "It is good to see that you are alive and well, Senpai." Kasumi said as her cheeks went a slight tint of red.
"Yeah, Hotshot. You had us all worried there for a bit." Kestria added as he held her wings behind her back with a smirk forming on her lips.
"Seems like we can't take our eyes off you for a second, Medjay." Raia added as she crossed her arms under her chest, also smirking at him.
"Yeah, not like I planned on being kidnapped or anything." He joked in response as he continued to allow Blare to cuddle up to him. "Just glad that everything worked out in the end."
The hellhound eventually broke free from the hug and gave him a look that was half annoyance and half worry as her flame lashes ignited from the corners of her eyes. "You had us worried sick you know! You're lucky that Vee found where you were when she did, otherwise you'd be mincemeat right about now!" She exclaimed as she threatened to burst into tears.
"Oh, so Vee did figure out how to use my phone tracker then. Makes sense how you girls showed up so fast."
"Yes, it seems that she did it purely from the memories she got from you." The empusa of the group explained to her squad captain.
Yuuto smirked to himself at that little factoid. "Looks like I owe her a caffeine day."
"I've been wondering," Kestria spoke up. "what exactly happened in there? Blare gave us a quick rundown, but she was vague on the details."
"From what I could make out, you were dealing with some sort of spirit that had a grudge against you?" Raia asked with a puzzled look on her face.
"Long story short, he wanted to kill me to get at my dad. But when he tried to hurt Lala…" The blonde trailed off as he recalled the events that led to his awakening.
Suddenly, as he recalled Fukuda trying to kill his girlfriend, the chaotic energy from before flickered to life and started coursing through him once more, causing his squad mates to jump back from the bed in shock. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them once more to reveal that they had taken on their demonic crimson form. The girls stared at him in awe, amazed by the sudden transformation. Blare ended up grinning widely as she made her way to her captain's side once more.
"Holy crap check it out! He has the same eyes as me now!" She exclaimed excitedly as she turned to face the others and pressed her cheek against his, which she would soon regret.
As soon as she made contact with him, the hellhound's cheek was shocked by the crimson lightning coursing through the hybrid, causing her to jump back with a yelp. She rubbed her cheek with one hand as she gave Yuuto a look of annoyance. "What the hell was that for, Stud?!" She exclaimed, feeling slightly hurt by the act.
"Hey, I didn't do anything, I swear!" The blonde yelled in response as he waved his hands at her apologetically, though the girls apart from Blare weren't prepared for the demonic echo that now accompanied his speech.
"Damn, Hotshot, you even sound like a badass now." The raptor harpy commented in amazement.
"I'm not sure if anyone else noticed, but Senpai only transformed after he got upset about something." Kasumi explained to the group.
"Maybe he can only activate it through negative emotions." The mummy surmised out loud.
Yuuto lifted his hands in front of him as he saw the chaotic energy coursing through his hands with a bewildered look on his face. "I suppose it makes sense. When I saw Fukuda try to harm Lala, I just snapped, and this happened. According to Dr Tamura, I'm able to do this because I'm apparently half elder devil or something like that."
"Well, if nothing else we've got ourselves a walking talking taser now." Kestria teased as she smirked at her squad captain once.
"…Yeah, I don't know how I should feel about that…"
"I do have one question though." The empusa spoke up to grab everyone's attention. "Do you know how to deactivate this transformation?"
"That's a good point. I'd rather not get shocked all the time if it can be helped…" Blare whiled as she pouted to herself.
An idea popped into the blonde's head from what Raia had said. If it could be activated through negative emotions, then technically he could deactivate it if he thought of something positive. With that in mind he shut his eyes and thought back to the day he and Lala confessed to one another and remembered the joy they felt. Suddenly the chaotic energy dissipated and as he opened his eyes they returned to their natural blue. He smirked to himself, happy that his plan actually worked. At least he now had some way of controlling it.
"Figures you'd get to grips with it so quickly." Raia said as she gave him a warm smile.
"You never cease to amaze me, Senpai." Kasumi added as she did the same.
"And here I was starting to get used to Devil Yuuto too." Kestria said with a hint of disappointment.
"Devil Yuuto?" The hybrid asked as he quirked an eyebrow at his harpy squadmate.
"Well, what else are you going to call it?" She replied as she gave him a teasing wink.
"Ooh, I know! Let's call it his Devil Trigger!" Blare exclaimed excitedly.
"Yeah, I think Capcom might have an issue with that." Yuuto interjected. "How about I just called it my Devil Mode for now?"
The raptor harpy started giggling to herself, much to the annoyance of her squad captain. "Sorry Hotshot, but you really suck at naming stuff."
"It is a shame. I would've thought a bright mind like yours could at least come up with something more creative." Raia added with a teasing grin on her face.
Kasumi shook her head in disappointment. "Such a waste."
The blonde furrowed his eyebrows at his squad mates. "Do you girls always have to gang up on me like this?"
"Wouldn't be much fun if we didn't, plus you love it, Stud." The hellhound responded as she gave him a wide grin and a wink.
He let out an exasperated sigh before he gave the girls a warm smile, which they all returned. "Thanks for coming to visit, girls. I really need the pick me up after what happened." He said before letting out a loud yawn. "Damn, I still feel so exhausted."
"We'd better let you rest now." The mummy replied as she walked to the side of his bed and gave him a light hug, which he reciprocated. "You'd better get better soon, Medjay."
"I'll try."
With that, Raia broke the hug and started making her way out of the room. "C'mon ladies, let's get going. Our dear captain needs some shut eye."
"But we only just got here!" Blare whined, not wanting to leave yet.
The mummy gave her hellhound squad mate a sadistic smirk as she extended one of her wrapping from her hand. "I will whip you if you don't move it."
Blare flinched at the remark. "Alright, fine! I'll go!" She exclaimed before she moved to her captain's side and gave him another hug. "Take care, Stud." She added before reluctantly letting go of him to follow Raia out.
"Yeah, take it easy, Hotshot." Kestria said as she waved a wing at him.
"We'll be looking forward to your safe return, Senpai." Kasumi added as she bowed to him, before following the rest of the squad out of the room.
"See you soon, girls. And try not to cause too much trouble." Yuuto replied as he waved them off.
With the group now gone, the hybrid was left to his thoughts once more. He now had some inkling of what he was, but he wouldn't be happy until he had actual confirmation, which would mean having to confront his father after all these years. The mere thought of him triggered his Devil Mode once more, his body swathed in the chaotic energy and his eyes now a devilish crimson. He clenched his right fist as he felt the crimson lightning course through him.
"Guess I can't avoid him forever…" He thought to himself as he tried to suppress his anger.
Sooner or later, Yuuto would have to discover the truth of what he truly is. He just hoped that it would be worth it in the end.
A/N: This has probably been the most dramatic chapter I've written for this story, both part 1 and part 2. I know that I haven't gone into too much detail about how or why he's part devil now, but the next chapter I have coming up should explain more on that. For now, just know that he'll be kicking ass with the best of them now.
The other new addition to the story is Lady Death. I wanted to expand on Lala's backstory a bit more, and how can I make it more interesting than making her the daughter of the nearest thing to the actual Grim Reaper that exists in this story. Again I'll expand on this in a later chapter down the line.
As always, Follow/favourite/review/make suggestions as per usual. Thanks again for reading the latest chapter and I'll see you next time!