"Akari aren't we going to the hotel?" Okuda inquired curiously seeing as they were taking a detour.

"…someone's been following us…" Akari whispered.

Okuda blinked in surprise not having realized they were being watched…but now that it's been brought to her attention she too could sense the wafting fumes of bloodlust and she felt embarrassed that up until then she had been blissfully ignorant.

….I should have known I'm so useless… In introspection, Okuda felt as though she was failing her friends by being so incompetent and useless. She cursed her ignorance and despaired as she realized how naïve and dense she could be…

Nagisa could sense her gloom and spared her a worried glance before slowing down to walk by her side to ensure her safety.

"Don't worry it's four against one. We'll be fine." Nagisa whispered with a comforting smile.

"O-Oh yeah…" Okuda muttered as that was not the problem.

The problem was that she failed to realize there was a threat so she wasn't on guard. She could have become a nuisance, a burden, someone in need of constant protection and she didn't want to be any of those things however she still appreciated Nagisa's attempt to comfort her and at the very least gave him a grateful smile.

A surge of happiness coursed through him and his eyes twinkled in glee seeing Okuda's grateful smile and he felt satisfied knowing he was able to reassure her.

Finally after a bit more walking the four of them had made their ways to a more isolated area of the city where there were hardly any people. Akari halted and the rest followed suit.

"We know you're there; what do you want?" Akari exclaimed turning around to see who their stalker was.

Standing there was a middle-aged man in a suit with black sleeked backed hair and a fat nose.

"Ah… sorry didn't mean to startle you…" He said with a sheepish smile.

"What do you want?" Akari repeated already reaching for her wand.

"Wow, wow; hold your horses. I'm not here to hurt you I swear!" The man said holding his hands up in surrender.

"Then why were you stalking us?" Okuda asked feeling slightly uneasy by the man's presence…she didn't like the look in his eyes.

"Okay, okay I see how this might seem bad but hear me out."

"Mistress, should I freeze him?" Nagisa inquired already prepared for battel his blue eyes seemingly glowing with bloodlust as his pupils dilated into slits.

The man recognizing the fact that they weren't going to give him time to talk so he quickly took out his badge before things escalated too quickly.

"Wait! Look! I'm part of the Familiar Re-location Division!" He cried showing his badge as proof.

"Oh so if I had killed glasses I would have to come to see you, Mr. Akira Takaoka!" Karma mused as he gazed at the ID badge with curiosity.

"Karma, please stop bringing up your failed murder attempt." Nagisa commented with a deadpan expression.

"Yeah you're right I should stop dwelling on all the failed murder attempts and start talking about all the successful murders instead, you're a real pal Nagisa." Karma retorted with a teasing smile.

"So Mr. Takaoka was it?" Akari commented already trying to tune out the conversation between the two familiars before she started to get a headache.

"Oh come on now if you say it like that it makes me sound old. Just call me Takaoka!" He said with a smile.

"….Right you haven't answered my question."

"Oh yeah sorry I tend to be forgetful." He responded sheepishly. "As I said I'm with the FRD and I have a few questions regarding a Mr. Koro."

Akari's shoulders tensed at the sound of the demon's name her hands clenching tightly into fists as her pupils dilated into small circles. To her credit, she at the very least was able to keep her bloodlust levels to a minimal.

"W-what about him?" Okuda nervously asked her hand automatically finding Akari's in order to soothe her friend's anger.

"Well seeing as ya'll where close to the late Ms. Aguri I was wondering if perhaps you guys knew anything about Koro's whereabouts as he needs to be re-assigned and or re-located back to his domain." The man explained.

"I…see…. we're sorry to say but…we have no idea where Koro is…." Akari responded coldly. "Now please excuse us."

With that, the conversation was over and the four of them began to walk away from the FRD employee. As soon as they were out of earshot Takaoka's smile faded a small frown taking its place as he let out a 'tch' in annoyance.

"It was a bust they don't know anything!" He scowled sending the message to Oka via a telepathic spell.

"They know more then they're letting on, keep an eye on them and in the meantime make sure the FRD don't find who you really are. Keep up the friendly mask got it."

"Roger that." Takaoka grumbled as he could only keep up his charade for so long before his bloodlust started to naturally shine through.

"Now what?" Oka asked spinning his chair to face.

"Send some of our men to those sentimental locations you were talking about…and keep an eye on those police reports someone could have seen Koro in his demon form and reported it to the local police...That's all we really can do."

"We're really fighting the clock here aren't we?" Oka mused before returning to work….

If this kept up then it would only be a matter of time before Asano decided to intervene…after all the furgal only had so much patience.

Meanwhile, Akari and the rest of the group finally made it to their hotel room and after gathering what little stuff they had they made their way out to the receptionist to check out.

As Akari went to check them out Nagisa quickly made his way to Okuda seeing as Karma was currently buying a drink from a nearby vending machine.

"Here." He whispered casually walking up to Okuda's side before handing over the letter he found In Aguri's study.

Instantly Okuda's eyes began to shine with excitement. She turned to look at Nagisa and gave him a stellar smile.

"Thank you." She whispered back. "We'll look at it later."

She said before she stuffed it into her purse and made her way to the lobby.

Nagisa faltered slightly having been stunned by the shine of her smile and the way a soft light aura encircled her in a sparkling nimbus.

"So, where is the guild you guys joined located at?" Karma inquired already bored as he thought about what kind of prank he could pull on one of the witches.

"It's in Fukuoka so it's only a few hours drive from here." Okuda responded noticing her familiar's growing boredom.

"Going by train would be the fastest way there but the bus is considerably cheaper so that's what we're taking." Akari continued as they walked out of the hotel.

Having taken the bus the four teenagers made their way to Fukuoka and once they arrived, they immediately began to search for a good hotel to stay at. The bus ride there was long and quiet and Okuda didn't like it…She felt as though she needed to say something. She needed to voice out her opinion…something was starting to bother her a little, constantly nagging at her the whole bus ride but she supposed perhaps it was more…tactful to wait until they had a private place to talk.

When she was younger she would never have thought of such things but now being older and having at the very least a semblance of social skills she knew that talking about such private matters in a public place would not be desirable.

Once inside the simple hotel room, Manami wasted no time in saying what was on her mind, because even though she's learned how to communicate she still wasn't all that good at it. She was honest to a fault and that was something that wouldn't really change.

"If the FRD are already looking for Koro why don't we just leave it to them?" Okuda stated as if she was urging Akari to drop the revenge plan and let someone else handle Koro which was exactly what she was doing.

Something was starting to give…

"We…Can't!" Akari finally stated after a brief pause of silence.

The tension was growing. It won't be able to handle the strain much longer…

"B-but w-why not?" Okuda interrogated.

"…I have to be the one…It has to be me…" Akari seethed as she tried to make Okuda see things from her perspective. This was personal; she couldn't let anyone else do it. It had to be her.

Something was reaching its peak now, only vainly keeping itself together.

"What..?"

"I have to be the one that finds him…Besides if they get to him first then….then I won't be able to avenge Aguri!" Akari loudly proclaimed her face slightly flushed red from anger.

Okuda could feel something bubble in her stomach and her mouth tasted bitter as she finally let out what she was thinking; the words that she had suppressed until then were now clawing their way out of her throat burning it in the process.

"That's not what this is about! You're not doing this for her you're doing this for yourself, Aguri wouldn't want this!" Manami exclaimed raising her tone to match Akari's.

It couldn't take anymore…it had reached its breaking point.

"AND WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW! You're not her sister, you're not even family! This doesn't involve someone like you." Akari snapped her venomous glare silencing the frustrated Okuda.

Okuda was taken back by her friend's sudden hostility so much so that she had forgotten what she originally wanted to say.

"S-someone like me..?" She muttered wondering whatever could Akari mean by, someone like me?

"Yes. Always so quiet, always so forgiving never standing up for yourself like a coward unless someone's there to hold your hand! I bet even now you don't think he did it!" Akari bellowed wanting nothing more than to stop talking but the dam had broken and there was no turning back now.

All her frustration that had been building up had kept her balancing on a tight rope on the verge of a breakdown… and Manami's suggestion of leaving bygone be bygones was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Stop talking, stop talking…! She willed herself to stop but the words kept rushing out of her mouth like torrid waves.

"I…" Manami couldn't get a word out as her stomach entangled itself in knots her face flushing red as her surroundings began to blur from the distortion of her tears.

"You still think he's innocent don't you! DON'T YOU!"

"I-I…"

"You're so gullible that it's pitiful Manami! Just look at how that fucking red demon treats you!"

"Mistress that's enough..!" Nagisa exclaimed as the negative feelings that were swirling around the two witches like smog was starting to take a toll on both him and Karma.

Not only that but he could sense Okuda was hurting and he couldn't stand that, he wanted Akari to stop hurting her, to leave Okuda alone.

"And you! You're no better! Acting all nice and kind, lying to Manami to make her like you, manipulating her! You're nothing more than a lying snake whose evil desires hide behind pretty flowers as you lie in wait ready to strike!" Akari cried already presumably knowing what Nagisa was up to.

He wanted Okuda to turn on her. He wanted to use their confused feelings against them to tear them apart and make them weaker so he can take them out more easily. That had to be the reason! He was a demon after all.

"S-stop it Akari…he's only trying t-"

"SHUT UP! It's always me who's acting irrationally…It's always me who is in the wrong and not Nagisa! I've known you for YEARS! Yet you still chose this demon over me every. Single. FUCKING! TIME! What does he have that I don't?"

Tears started to fall from Okuda's despaired filled eyes as hiccups escaped her…She was trying hard not to falter but she felt…frustrated!

She couldn't do anything…She couldn't even SAY anything! She was so useless! She hated it! Hated this feeling of being weak! She hated herself for being weak! Her hot tears poured out and she vainly tried to rub them away because they were starting to cloud her vision. Everything was…blurring out of existence…She could no longer hear what Akari was yelling about but she felt it. Akari's sharp jabs and blunt insults would crash themselves against the insides of her mind causing her temple to pulsate in pain…it was as if her words were stabbing her in the head. Something was bubbling inside her boiling over threating to spill…This burning hot feeling…she knew it…

"So what do you have to say for yourself, Manami!"

"…."

Those burning embers in her stomach caused her body to flush and the smoke it produced filled her lungs….She took a deep breath and tried to smother out the fires inside herself as she recalled the last time she felt this way….

"Answer me…!" Akari demanded wanting to hear what Okuda had to say. She was hoping for an apology or even an explanation but she wasn't expecting what Okuda said next:

"…I hate you…" She muttered her voice slightly hoarse from her crying but otherwise solid and strong.

Her hands were clenching tightly onto the helm of her skirt her knuckles turning white from the iron grip, her red eyes downcast as tears freely streamed down her flushed face….and everything was silent…

I hate you….

I hate you….hate…hate…

She hates me….

She hates me, she hates me….

"M-Manami…I-I…" Akari quietly approached the small witch as if she was approaching a scared wild animal…Her hand slowly raising up intending to place a comforting touch on Manami's hunched shoulders….

At the sound of her name, Manami's head snapped up to glare at Akari with puffy eyes and red cheeks. Her purple eyes were burning with anger and were dilated into small circles that were staring right through her…The look on her face was enough to stop Akari in her tracks and before anything could be done…

Manami ran.