"Eh? Italy? We're not going to follow Ryuuji and Ren in England?" Mai asked when Kannon informed her about the changes in their plan.
"Yup! I mean, we've been to UK soooo many times already and I am sick of it~ let's tour Rome this time~"
Kannon was staying in Mai's new place. She knew that Mai didn't really sleep, being dead and all. She only closed her eyes pretending to be asleep, in order for her roommates in the dormitory won't find her suspicious.
"Kannon... Thank you... for everything... you, Ren, Ryuuji, and Aizen... I can't thank you enough." Mai softly smiled at her.
Kannon tear up. "Mai! I'm sorry! I'm really, really, really sorry!" The miko hugged her tight. "We couldn't do anything about your situation."
"It's alright. I already accepted my fate. I already died once, and I am grateful that I was given a second chance to live although there's a deadline."
"But I don't want that! I want us to be friends forever, our future children to be friends, I want us to grow old together, watched our grandchildren to be friends." Kannon was now sobbing on her shoulders.
Mai reluctantly patted her back. "I don't understand why you are crying though."
Hakuren and others asked several spiritualists and demonologists for help regarding Mai's situation. But they shook heads, saying that it's beyond their power hearing Baphomet's name. It is already a dead end when the demon gotten a hold of the person's soul, they are now basically a 'puppet' for the demon's entertainment purposes.
Kannon sobbed when they reached the end, they couldn't save Mai. No one can save Mai. She can only wait for her time that the demon lend to her to end. And so, the POTU make Mai write her bucket list – the things she wanted to do, the places she wanted to visit, the food that she wanted to eat, or people she wanted to meet, and the team made it come true for her.
They wanted Mai to leave without regrets. Although it's only her physical body that will perish, since her soul is already gone.
Kannon and Ryuuji chose to stay in Japan for Mai, they don't want to leave her alone. Hakuren went to America and worked in ASPR hoping to encounter someone who can help them, he didn't give up just yet, as long as Mai is still there with them, he won't stop looking for a solution. And Aizen, giving moral and monetary (if needed) support to everyone.
Kannon jumped when her phone gone off and reached her it from her bed. Her growled seeing the caller ID.
"You!" She yelled. "You disgusting ugly idiot! How dare you letting me hear your burp earlier! Just wait until you came back! I will beat the hell out of you –"
"Kannon, calm down. Have mercy on my eardrums." The person on the other line grumbled.
Kannon stopped her tirades when she heard the familiar voice. "Ren! Why are you using that idiot's phone? And where is he?"
"He's in the corner, cowering in fear, you are in loudspeaker so he heard your rants earlier." Hakuren chuckled. "He already reflected on his actions."
"Hmp! I doubt that." She huffed. "So, why are you calling?"
"I want you to stick with your original plan, and follow us here England."
Kannon froze. She glanced at Mai and gestured that she will go out for a while. Mai nodded. "W-W-W-W-W-What?! Are you serious?! Ryuuji said that you met the SPR there!" She seethed. "I don't want Mai to meet them!"
"It's an experiment Kannon, I want to see if there will be some changes in Mai when she saw them." Hakuren reason out.
"But I already booked a ticket to Rome!"
"I will refund you."
"Fine but I will strangle you if something bad will happen to her."
"Of course."
Kannon locked her phone and went back to the bedroom.
BSPR employees was chatting about Oliver Davis' sudden change in behaviour after the seminar. He asked Lin to investigate all Yomozuki Hakuren's job in ASPR. He still haven't forgotten the insult that the guy threw at him during the after party.
Was leaving Mai is really the right choice? He started to doubt his decision of leaving his other assistant in Japan. Naru heaved a sigh and start working the paper works for any potential cases.
Masako observed Naru from his office. It's been seven years since she went to England with him, among the other SPR members, she's the first one to follow Oliver. Her career as a celebrity medium expanded from Japan to England and BSPR is now acknowledging her. She's now working back in fort, Japan and England. And she already get the good sides of his parents, the only problem now is the man himself. She sometimes heard Naru calling Mai's name asking for tea during the first years of their relocation.
He still haven't get used to it without Mai on his side.
But ever since the after party, Naru became distracted. It's because of those two Japanese people – Suzui Ryuuji and Yomozuki Hakuren.
She don't want Naru to come back to Japan. She was quite relief when Naru decided to leave Mai in Japan. She don't want the two of them to meet again, call her selfish, but this is the only thing that Masako holds now. She knew Naru loves Mai, all this years... Naru was thinking about her.
One of these days, she will make Naru call her by her first name.
"Naru." Lin entered his office and handed him a manila brown envelope. "This is all the information regarding Yomozuki Hakuren in ASPR."
Naru immediately snatched it from him and starts reading it. His credentials was amazing, he wrote scientific books, desertions, and thesis about his field, and he's one of their lead investigators, why BSPR failed to noticed this person was beyond him.
He even read his works.
He his eyebrows rose when he saw that Hakuren sometimes worked with CIA and FBI as their profiler, and while he's still a student, a group of profilers that led by him helped the Japan's MPD's Ground Zero.
"Impressive." He mumbled. To think that there's another person with brains working on the same field as him, he's a worthy rival.
"You haven't heard about him?" Lin asked his young charge.
"I did, but I never put a thought on him."
"It seems that it was one of the Board of Directors who invited him in the seminar." Lin informed. "And I heard what they've been talking about last night."
"They want him to work here?"
Lin nodded. "Yes, but he declined."
Naru placed the report on his drawer and continue his work. "One more thing, I want you to contact Mai in Japan. Check on how she was doing." He ordered, concern laced on his voice.
"After all this years?" Lin narrowed his eyes. "You always shrugged it off before every time I tell you that. Did something happened at the party?"
"Yomozuki-san called me stupid for leaving Mai in Japan alone, knowing that she's a magnet of trouble. He used my own research against me."
"I already told you, leaving her alone is a bad idea. She no longer have Gene to guide her, we should've brought her along and starts training her, instead of just leaving her like that. Not just you, but everyone else."
"It was for her own good." He defended. "I want her to live a normal life."
"No Naru, it was because of your pride." Lin pointed out.
"Whatever." Naru deadpanned. "Now leave, and check on her."
Lin left his office to do what he was told to do.
The miko jerked when Mai's cold hand touched her.
"Are you okay? You were scowling the whole time." Mai asked.
They are on the plane to England, and Kannon was not in good mood. "I'm fine, I'm just sleepy~"
"Then sleep. I will wake you up."
"Okaaaay~~" Kannon covered her eyes and starts dozing off on her shoulder.
Mai closed her eyes too. The girl gasped when she opened her eyes, and she's lying on top of the table, in the middle of the room. Mai abruptly stood up, there's no way she can be dreaming, ever since Baphomet took her soul, she no longer have dreams 'cause she can no longer sleep. So why...
"Welcome, Mai."
The girl shivered at the cold voice behind her. Mai slowly turned and saw a man with long silky hair and red glowing eyes, with black horns on his head, entered the huge door.
"W-W-Who are you?" Strange, Mai felt fear.
The man chuckled and ushered her to the table. "Right, this is the first time I called you here. I am Baphomet."
Mai widened her eyes, this beautiful man before her is Baphomet? That goat demon?! "Liar! Baphomet is a goat!" She exclaimed. "That goes 'Meeeeh'!"
The demon blinked at her before laughing out loud. "As expected you are different form the others!" He exclaimed between laughter. "I am that Baphomet. This my true form. I only appeared as goat-like demon when I was first summoned centuries ago, and people mistook it as my real appearance."
"Ah..." She looked around the room and saw a glass jar with a sand clock beside it. "What is that?"
"Your soul and emotions." He smiled.
"Eh?! You haven't consumed it yet?"
"This is the first time I've done something like this too." He stated. "Usually, I will immediately consume a person's soul before giving them a second chance. But with your soul... I want it to be my main dish. It was so... pure. I want to savour it at the end of your time."
"Oh... I see... Can I look at it?"
"Of course." Baphomet studied her reaction. She was purely looking at the glass, fascinated. Strange girl... if it was the others, they already begged him to return their soul and let them live again.
"Whoa! So my soul looks like a smoke trapped in a jar!" She giggled. "Amazing! This the first time I've seen a soul captured by a demon."
The demon stared at her excited face. "Mai, you need to wake up now." Baphomet ordered. "I just brought you here to show that."
"Can I meet you again?"
The demon shrugged. "It depends on me, I somehow control you now."
"Ah, then let me say thank you." Mai smiled at him.
He blinked few times before tilted his head. This girl is thanking him? A demon? "Thank you? For what?"
"For giving me a second chance to live."
"You only live until your thirtieth birthday." He reminded.
"I don't mind, at least I can spend time with my friends until then. So... thank you."
Baphomet scoffed, touching her, bringing her back to her world.
"She is really a strange girl."
The demon sat on his throne and a rare smile placed on his black lips as he recalled the first time he saw Mai's corpse, it was so... beautiful.
He was out to the human world, specifically in Japan, when he felt his followers trying to summon him. He showed themselves to his devotees and let them prayed to him. After the service, he felt a fading life force not far from where he is, curious, he followed it instead of going back to the underworld.
He saw a girl on the verge of death.
He knelt beside her. She's still faintly breathing, she's going to die any second now. He lifted her blood-soaked body and went to the underworld.
He carefully placed her on the sacrificial table and ripped her clothes, Mai breathed her last breath and Baphomet placed her soul in a glass jar. Her soul is pure as white, he can feel no malice on it. It was so bright, and warm, sadness and confusion was felt too.
Curiously, he looked inside of her memories.
The moment she was born.
She grew up.
Her father's death.
Her mother's death.
High school memories.
Joining SPR.
Her adventures in SPR.
Her confession.
Her heartache.
Their abandonment.
Her death.
Strange girl... Baphomet thought. There's no faint of anger in her, even after from what they've done. Only sadness and sorrow...
He glanced at Mai's corpse in the table. Her emotions are so bright... She's a sympathetic person. Baphoment smiled at his idea.
"Alright, I will give you a chance to live, but I will take away all your emotions." He sucked Mai's emotions and place it together with her soul in the jar.
With his power she took Mai's shredded heart, the vengeful ghost really did some damage on it. And place his sigil on it and returned her to where she died.
"She will be my finest fare. I never had one for centuries."
His scarlet eyes glowed in excitement.
"Mai! Wake up!"
Mai groaned and slowly opened her eyes.
"What is it?" She groggily mumbled.
"You fall asleep?! As in really sleeping?!" Kannon gasped.
Mai yawned and looked at her surrounding, she's back in the plane, and they've arrived. "Yeah... I had a chat with Baphomet." She stood up and get her pack bag in the compartment.
Kannon stared at her in horror. "What...?"
Mai smiled at her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to die yet. He was just bored and needed someone to talk to."
"Are you okay?" She asked in concern.
"Yes, no need to worry."
The two walked to the arrival area after the long queue in the immigration for their passport stamps.
"That idiot! I told him not to be late!" Kannon grumbled, clenching his hand. "I punish him later!"
"Ah, he's here." Mai interjected seeing a white Ferrari halted in front of them.
"Yo! I'm here to pick you up!" Ryuuji greeted. He paled when he saw Kannon's dark look. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I forgot the time while I was eating at the nearby cafe!" He quickly apologized.
"Hmp!" She huffed and tossed her purse at him, which he caught by reflex. "Then treat us in that cafe."
Ryuuji beamed at her. "Of course!"
He opened the passenger seat for Mai, and the front seat for Kannon, and they drive to Cambridge.
BSPR employees were buzzing around when they saw Martin Davis touring a handsome man around, he's more charismatic and good looking than their young doctor. Yomozuki Hakuren received a call earlier, one from BSPR's Board of Director who was pestering him to quit ASPR and work for them instead. He already declined the offer but he was stubborn.
"Before you make a decision, I want you to have a closer look at the office first." The BOD said.
Hakuren sighed and accepted his idea, but it doesn't mean he will accept his offer.
Marin Davis showed him the research department, their talented investigators, and the equipment rooms.
"We have the latest and custom made equipment, talented investigators, and brilliant researchers. Not to mention the cafeteria's chefs are professionals too." He bragged, his assistant opened his office, and saw Oliver together with his team inside.
The auburn-haired man ignored them.
Martin gestured them to wait, the Board of Directors asked him to convinced Hakuren to transfer by showing the company's assets.
"Is something bothering you Mr Yomozuki?" He asked when he saw him in deep thought, sitting on his office's couch.
"You didn't have a Psychotherapy Department? Or Counsellors?" He asked. "Lots of people who dealt with traumatic events due to paranormal, tend to suffer unstable state of mind after, and you need professionals to attend them. Psychic Research didn't only involve researchers and equipment, it also involves the clients' well-being."
Martin opened his mouth to answer but Oliver beat him to it.
"We are already planning on putting one."
"Pfft! Hahahahah!" Everyone was shocked at his sudden outburst of emotion. "And you expect me to transfer in this company?" He sneered, glaring sharply at Oliver. "Why would I? When ASPR already have everything."
He stood up and bowed at Martin. "I'm sorry professor, but I already made up my mind. I will stay in ASPR, I will not be swayed with anything."
"I see, I understand." Martin offered his hand. "But I am still looking forward in working with you in the future, Mr Yomozuki."
"Well, I'm not." He smiled, shaking his hand before leaving the office, not even glancing at the gobsmacked SPR members.
"You want him work for BSPR, father?" Oliver asked incredulously. "Why?"
"The Board wanted him, they saw his achievements in the field. Although he is somewhat similar to you, who hates media attention." Martin sat on his chair and faced them. He handed a case file to Oliver.
"I want you to take this case." Martin stared at Oliver's eyes. "And Mr Yomozuki will be joining your team as an observer."
Naru and Lin was stunned. They stared at the professor unbelievably.
The others gaped in shock.