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Chapter 2

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Sweat dripped from Miyuki's brow. She narrowed her eyes and pumped her arms as fast as she could. From behind her, a winged beast's screech sounded a lot closer than she cared for.

She had been in Gehenna for almost three years and loved every bit of it. Well, every bit except Amaimon and his stupid training. She was actually supposed to be training with him right now but opted for something a little different.

Sparing a brief glance behind her, she found two demons were right on her fuzzy, white tail. There was one in the sky that resembled a darkly-coloured owl. Its large wings were able to flap slowly and still keep up. It flew overhead but was getting closer to Miyuki, much to her chagrin.

Running on the ground was a small imp with a somewhat hunched back and a body that made it look like a black cat. Its front paws split into three razor-sharp talons and one of its four tails had a small fire ignited on the end. The fire kept going in and out so it was more of a continuous spark.

The only discernible features on its face were large eyes with just the white sclera and a large grin full of fangs. It was unfortunately fast.

In a very poorly timed and hastily made decision, the ten-year-old Miyuki found herself making a sharp right turn. As she did so, she ran her hand along the ashen ground. Large spikes of ice erupted from her fingertips, forcing the imp that had been chasing her to weave through the obstacle while the crow just flew over it.

Miyuki had no time to celebrate, however. A cliff somehow went unnoticed by the young girl. Her feet carried her off the edge and she was sent plummeting down.

"Crap!" she yelped. Her limbs flailed about in search of something to grab onto. Her anxiety and panic rose with every foot she fell.

She wondered if she could make a slide of ice in time. Unfortunately, the terrain was much too dry for that. If she could find the moisture it took to make something that could break her fall, it wouldn't be tall enough. Swallowing her pride, she closed her eyes tightly and called out to her last resort.

"STRIX!"

"I was wondering how long you were going to wait."

Something wrapped around her arms and slowly pulled her upwards so that the sudden stop wouldn't tear her arms off. Hesitantly, the girl cracked open one of her eyes. They narrowed when she noticed the bird demon that had been chasing her earlier was now pulling her back up to safety. A look of disappointment crossed her features.

"You know you could have just let me fall? Then you wouldn't be able to complain," her blood-red eyes sparkled with a hint of playful amusement.

In less than a minute she was back at the top of the cliff. The cat-like imp was waiting for her with a fanged smile.

"Now that's a thought," replied Strix, the bird.

"Is he trying to complain again, M'lady?" the imp bounced in place. "I can pluck out his feathers if you want!" Strix scoffed and Miyuki couldn't help but laugh.

"It's fine, Aliza," she shrugged carelessly. The imp, apparently named Aliza, hopped up onto her back and clung to the girl's shirt.

"Pity. Someday I'll be able to clip your wings, Strix," they tsked. Strix merely narrowed his eyes.

"I won't be maimed by an imp. Know your place," he quipped. Miyuki shook her head at their usual playful banter.

"Calm down, you two. We've got to get back to the castle before my training with Amaimon. The boss would kill me if I missed it," the Yuki-Onna sighed with exasperation. Aliza and Strix shared a look.

"I'd like to see them try, M'lady!" the former chipped in.

"Don't jinx it, Liz," Miyuki chuckled as she crawled on to Strix's back and gave him a quick pat. "Remember to drop when we get within one mile of the castle."

"Yes, Miyuki, I know," Strix sighed, although there was a playful tone in his voice. With two quick flaps of his large wings, the three were soaring through the hot skies of Gehenna.

She can't remember how she met Strix or Aliza but they had just always been there. She wouldn't say they were friends but she could confide in them about her problems. Her problems being Amaimon and the crazy training schedule Satan has her on.

Even if she was supposed to be a heartless killer, she needed to have some fun every once and a while. She was still partially human, after all.

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Miyuki slipped through one of the castle windows, silently closing it as she watched Strix fly away with Aliza on his back. She couldn't help but give in to the smirk that spread across her face. Stolas and Aliza were her only companions in all of Gehenna. Everyone else feared her. It was a lot like the way things used to be with Mika and Isaki.

That day doesn't haunt her anymore and she isn't scared to say that she killed one of her best friends. That's just what her new life has turned her into; someone who isn't afraid to kill whoever she needs to. Everyone knows her as the Last Yuki-Onna and, despite only being ten, she had a reputation for being a heartless killer.

"You're late," Amaimon pointed out when they met up in their usual sparring room.

Miyuki groaned. "And you're an idiot."

"Very funny, Yuki-Onna," said a familiar voice that sent shivers down the snow woman's spine. She swallowed thickly.

"B-Boss...What are you doing in here?" her scarlet eyes rested upon Satan's newest form. He never showed her his true self, only human husks that Amaimon was able to bring him.

"You've been late to practice every day for a month. How am I not supposed to get involved?" Satan was clearly miffed. Miyuki lowered her head in shame. "I brought you here to get stronger, not to play around."

"Forgive me, Sir, but Strix and Aliza help me train, too. I get more agility training from them than I do letting Amaimon's pet, Behemoth, chase me. They're less aggravating, too," she whispered the last part. Amaimon frowned.

"Behemoth is not annoying," he hissed. Miyuki rolled her eyes.

"I meant you, dimwit.." Her scarlet orbs almost glowed with murderous intent.

"Either way," Satan broke the silence, "Your training with Amaimon comes first. I have a big job for you and if you're ready when the time comes, those lesser demons will be the least of your worries."

Miyuki nodded sternly. She was surprised that there wasn't any punishment being involved. No more words were exchanged between any of the three for the rest of the day. Even during Amaimon and Miyuki's training, they kept their thoughts to themselves and sparred in silence. She couldn't help but enjoy the quiet as it gave her time to think.

What did Satan mean by "big job"?

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A Few Years Later...

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Miyuki awoke to the sound of barking. She groaned as she held her arm out lazily and shot ice in the direction of whatever was causing the godforsaken noise. Curious as to what it was, she peeked one eye open.

"Oops..." she grumbled, opening both eyes. It was a hellhound that had come to wake her up so she could begin her mission. Well, it had done its job before it was coated in ice.

"That's not very nice, Miyuki," Amaimon calls as he pokes his head through the door. Miyuki groaned with annoyance as she stumbled out of bed and closed the door.

"What was that for?" Amaimon whined from the other side. Miyuki rolled her eyes.

"I have to get dressed, idiot," she spat through her mid-morning grogginess. With a sigh, she began to dress. Satan's son, apparently named Rin, was attending the school run by a fellow demon who was technically her cousin. Miyuki might as well be one of the only demons that was not created by Satan.

Fortunately, the uniform didn't look too horrid on her. She took the liberty of adding a black tailcoat to it as she didn't exactly fancy the pale-ish-coloured blazer that she was issued. The red and black tie was lazily hanging around her neck since she couldn't figure out how to tie it and really didn't care.

Miyuki walked out the door with her schoolbag sitting on her shoulder and Amaimon running to catch up with her. He had Behemoth on a leash, trotting next to him while snapping at the Yuki-Onna's ankles. She sighed and scratched the back of her head.

"Where's the gate? I want to get to Assiah beforehand so I can get some more snacks," she kept looking forward as she walked.

"The hellhound was supposed to show you," Amaimon's sweat fell as he looked at her accusingly. She raised an eyebrow then shrugged.

"Maybe you should have woken me up, then. I'd like to add an Amaimon ice sculpture to my quarters," she sounded calm but there was venom meticulously laced into her words. Amaimon shook his head.

"How was I supposed to know you'd freeze your wake up call?" he asked rhetorically. "Anyway, the portal should be a few doors down."

"You aren't gonna see me off?" Miyuki's words were dripping with sarcasm. Narrowing his eyes, Amaimon stopped. The Yuki-Onna crossed her arms when she noticed his serious demeanour.

"Miyuki, this is a huge mission. Father's made it clear that if you don't take this seriously or you fail, he'll send someone more qualified," he stated matter-of-factly. Miyuki's eyes filled with intrigue as the atmosphere grew tense and the room once again grew cold.

"And he thinks that quote-on-quote 'someone more qualified' is you?" she asked in a low voice while a villainous half-smile gree on her face. Amaimon narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. Behemoth sensed the electricity in the air and began to snarl like it was a rabies-infected beast.

"Do. Not. Mess. This. Up."

"And you stay out of my way."

With her having successfully gotten in the last word, Miyuki began to walk away. She had only taken three steps when her eyes widened and she hissed. Looking back, she glared at Amaimon. He had grabbed her white demon tail and pulled on it. Due to her fast reflexes, Miyuki quickly shot ice at him, encasing his arm in a cold tomb. He frowned.

"Keep your tail tucked in," he stated before walking away with Behemoth in tow. Miyuki ground her teeth together as her eye twitched with annoyance. She couldn't wait to get out...

As she continued to the gate, she found it sitting right where the green-haired freak said it would be. She sighed as she stared at the black pit's eyes with a look of disgust. She tsked then dropped her bag next to her.

"Fuck you, Amaimon," she spat in a low, menacing tone. She unconsciously chilled the room whilst she took off her tailcoat and stuffed her tail under her blazer. After buttoning her coat back up, she stared at the pit for a few seconds.

"Bloody hell," she sighed before closing her eyes. Since she had already said goodbye to Strix and Aliza, she was ready to go. Withholding her breath, she took a step forward and fell into the gate.

Just like that, she was starting her objective in Assiah.