Disclaimer: I do not own Owari no Seraph (Seraph of the End). I write this for your enjoyment only. This story is an alternate version of the Nagoya arc with differences from the original; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. On another note, I also have illustrations from the fem!Yuu and Asuramaru as Guren illusion from chapter 6 posted on my DA and Ao3 as well as Twitter for anyone who wants to see them. That said, enjoy and please review!

Chapter 8: The Darkness Within Us All, Part II

"Damn you, Shiho Kimizuki…" Kiseki-O cursed when he saw his human contractor slowly stand up from where he had collapsed after shooting himself in the head.

"Heh, I'll never do as you say, demon," the pink-haired boy said smugly before he suddenly charged forward and made a clean strike at Kiseki-O's chest, leaving an x-shaped mark across the creature's sternum that stretched down to his belly.

"You're better than I thought" Kiseki-O admitted. "It looks like I'll have to work just a bit harder to force your submission."

"Dream on, you little bastard!" Kimizuki shot back. "The only one who'll be submitting is you!"

Kiseki-O grinned, unfazed by his human contractor's threat.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Shiho. Despite your efforts to be noble and self-sacrificing, there is still darkness inside you, darkness so deep that you wouldn't hesitate to betray your new friends if it meant saving your sister."

"And your point is?"

"My point is even the noblest of souls have a dark side, including this Yuichiro you so admire. Even though I can appreciate your efforts to be like her. Very well, Shiho, you win for now. I'll lend you my power so long as your conviction remains strong. Call upon me to possess you whenever you are in need of my help."

"I will…" Kimizuki replied as he re-sheathed his swords. "But I'll also keep my eye on you, demon" he warned.

Kiseki-O chuckled. "Likewise, Shiho. You can wake up now; your friends are waiting for you."

The pink-haired boy snorted. "Like I need your permission to wake-up," he mocked as he turned his back on Kiseki-O and willed himself to return to the human world.

SSSSSS

"Ugghh…" Kimizuki groaned as he turned in his sleep once more, worrying Yuichiro as well as the rest of Shinoa and Satoshi's squads.

Looking to her squad leader, the ravenette said:

"Shinoa, I'm really worried. Kimizuki is taking way too long to get up. And as much as I hate having to ask Guren for help, I think we may have to call him and ask what to do."

Shinoa sighed and was about to voice her agreement when both girls heard a gruff voice cut in.

"No need. I can manage just fine without that arrogant bastard's help."

Satoshi was about to reprimand the pink-haired boy for his disrespectful comment towards their superior when Kimizuki suddenly, without warning, swung one of his twin swords at him.

Alarmed, Yoichi, Takeshi, and Daisuke quickly jumped back while Satoshi raised his own weapon to meet Kimizuki's just in time to avoid getting injured.

"Oh, no! Did Kimizuki go berserk?" Yoichi cried, bewildered at his squad mate's sudden unprovoked attack on Satoshi as he took aim at Kimizuki in case the pink-haired boy was indeed possessed by his demon.

"No. I'm perfectly awake and sane," the boy in question answered in a calm voice as he locked swords with Satoshi Hiwatari.

The blue-haired squad leader glared at him.

"Then why the hell did you attack me?!" he demanded harshly.

Kimizuki smirked at Satoshi, finding amusement in the other boy's angry expression.

"Just trying to keep you on your toes, Hiwatari! It might save your life someday."

Catching on to the pink-haired boy's drift, Satoshi's sour mood lightened and he grinned.

"My, what a confident bastard you are, Shiho Kimizuki! However, don't get too cocky just because you just mastered the art of demon possession. Remember, I got it down before you did."

"So shall we see who controls his demon better, then? And who's the better fighter?" Kimizuki challenged.

"With pleasure…" Satoshi answered smugly as he took a fighting stance and called for his blond demon contractor.

"Krad, I command you, come forth!"

Intrigued by the prospect of an exciting duel, the other boys put down their weapons, circled around Satoshi and Kimizuki, and watched them go at it while the girls eyed them wearily.

"Do you think we should stop them?" Yuichiro asked.

It was no secret among the two squads that Satoshi Hiwatari disliked calling for his demon unless it was absolutely necessary. And certainly not to win a bet of who's the better fighter. Out of everyone in both Shinoa and Satoshi's squads, the blue-haired boy was probably the one who trusted his demon contractor the least.

But at the end of the day, even Satoshi Hiwatari, despite his brilliant mind and maturity, was still a proud young man who wasn't one to turn down a worthy challenge.

Shinoa smiled and shook her head. "No, I think this is actually a good idea. Since we are short on time, there's no better way for those new to demon possession and manifestation to test the waters then by duking it out with comrades. At least we don't intend to fight each other to the death."

"Interesting… Well, since you put it that way, Shinoa, I guess I can't argue," Yuichiro agreed as she watched Satoshi and Kimizuki engage in a duel with the other boys cheering them on.

As a slightly more experienced demon wielder than Kimizuki, it didn't take Satoshi long to gain the upper hand when he managed to knock one of the other boy's twin swords out of his hand. However, Kimizuki was not to be deterred easily since he was ambidextrous and more than capable of fighting with just one sword. And Satoshi quickly realized that the only way to end the fight was to disarm the other boy completely.

"I'm impressed, Master Satoshi…" Krad praised with a snicker. "You didn't want to call for me when you and your squad were practically outnumbered and cornered by those vampires back in Shinjuku Central Park. Yet when this pink-haired punk challenges your sword-fighting skills and ability to control me, you oblige him without hesitation!"

"Ha!" Satoshi silently shot back to the demon in his mind. "Like you've never done the same when Dark challenged you on anything! I'm guessing both of you spent your entire human and vampire lives trying to outdo each other on everything and that's probably what turned you two into demons as well!"

"You may be right, Master Satoshi. And I advise you not to do the same if you don't want to end up like us. But I know you won't be able to resist. After all, you're still young and that'll give me plenty of time to break you…"

"Never, you bastard!"

"We'll see…"

Ignoring Krad's taunt, Satoshi took full advantage of the enhanced strength his demon granted him and took another swing at his opponent. Seeing the gold lightening surrounding the blue-haired boy's blade, Kimizuki pointed his remaining sword to the sky and called for his own demon.

"Kiseki-O, on the count of nine, open the devil's coffin, I command you…"

The demon's response was instant and everyone watched in awe as a western-style coffin surrounded by bright light manifested above Kimizuki. The lid opened slightly and a pair of demonic gold eyes peaked out from inside the dark coffin as Kiseki-O began counting in a voice eerie enough to send chills down Satoshi's spine.

"One…two…three…four…"

"Shit, what the hell is THAT?" the blue-haired boy demanded as he raised his katana and tried to figure out how he should defend himself from Kimizuki's demon.

But before Satoshi could think of a way to respond, he found himself being pulled towards the coffin by an invisible force and panic overtook him, a rarity considering that he almost always knew what to do in unexpected situations. And though he never admitted to anyone, even himself, Satoshi was actually claustrophobic and the thought of being put into a coffin while still alive terrified him.

Concerned for her squad leader (and love interest), Risa Harada, cut into the fight as she drew one of her fans back and called for her demon contractor.

"Kitana, come forth! I need you!" *1*

"Why now of all times, Risa?" the female demon answered curiously, her question born more of perplexity than unwillingness to obey her mistress's command. "It's just a friendly duel, not like those two intend to fight to the death."

"I'm sorry, I just don't like how this is turning out so can you please stop that other demon from sucking Satoshi into that creepy coffin?" the brunette girl asked a bit impatiently.

After a moment's silence, Kitana sighed but gave in.

"Very well, Risa. I suppose it can't be helped since you do have a thing for your squad leader…" *2*

The brunette girl blushed. "What? I don't know what you're talking about! I just don't want Sato to get hurt because the squad needs him!"

The demon chuckled as if she found her mistress's denial amusing. Even after all these centuries and millennia, some things never change.

"Uh huh, sure, Risa…" Kitana teased before manifesting behind Risa as a scantily-clad young woman with long raven hair tied in an intricate braided bun and guiding her right hand as she drew it back and threw her fan at Kiseki-O's coffin.

With the assistance of her demon, Risa's aim was true and her war fan flew inside the demonic coffin, striking the glowing eyes within and disrupting Kiseki-O's attempt to suck Satoshi in.

As soon as he was released, the blue-haired boy fell back and landed on his rump, clutching his chest as he tried to catch his breath and register what just happened. Risa wasted no time rushing to his side after Kitana vanished into her subconscious again.

"Are you all right, Sato?" the brunette girl asked in concern.

Satoshi nodded as he looked at Kimizuki with newly garnered respect and admiration after he had made his demon vanish upon securing his semi-victory.

"It looks like I underestimated our friend, Shiho Kimizuki, here. I never expected a demon manifestation like that."

"Neither did we," Yuichiro admitted as everybody gathered around the previously dueling boys and Satoshi's unexpected rescuer. Turning to her squad leader, she asked: "What was that, Shinoa? I thought possession-type demons aren't supposed to have special powers."

"Usually not," the purple-haired girl answered coolly. "But there are some exceptions. I'm sure your Asuramaru has such a power too. Have you found it yet, Yuu?"

Yuichiro shook her head. "I'm not sure; there's still a lot about my cursed gear I don't know about yet. *3*

"Well, that doesn't surprise me," Mitsuba said. "It took a while for me to learn all of my Tenjiryu's abilities too. Demons also love to hide things from us in case you haven't noticed."

"Oh, I've noticed all right…" Yuu said grimly. "They can also be audacious pranksters as well," the ravenette added as she recalled the steamy illusion Asuramaru gave her that made Yuichiro want to strangle him when she broke free of it.

"Oh, was it something kinky?" Riku teased.

"Riku!" Risa hissed as she lightly jabbed her twin in the ribs, not wanting to give away the fact that they all heard Yuichiro moaning softly in her sleep while wondering what kind of dream she was having. Normally, it was Riku who was the more serious of the two but even she had a bit of a playful, mischievous, (and immature) side from time to time.

"N-no… Nothing like that!" The girl in question insisted while blushing furiously.

Not wanting the Harada twins to embarrass Yuichiro further, Shinoa cut in again.

"Ok, ok, that's enough. What matters is that both Yuu and Kimizuki succeeded in mastering their demons without getting killed or seriously hurt and we should be grateful for that."

"No doubt…" Daisuke agreed. "I had no idea possession-type demons can have special abilities. Or at least some of them. So Dark may surprise me again just yet. Which, I have to admit, is not something I'm eager to find out anytime soon."

Yoichi laughed softly. "Don't we all dread getting unseemly surprises from them?"

"I concur…" Takeshi agreed. "I'm lucky Miss Menou has been really nice with me so far, but I try not to be overly bossy to her lest she plague me with nightmares while I sleep."

While the group laughed and took the time to bond with their shared anxiety of their demons' unknown powers that they've yet to discover, Mitsuba moved closer to Shinoa and lowered her voice to a whisper before asking:

"Hey, Shinoa, did you know Kimizuki's demon had a power like that?"

The purple-haired girl shook her head. "Honestly, I didn't, Mi-chan," she confessed. "I do know that the highest-ranked demon weapons may have unusual abilities, but they can vary greatly. Not all of them are solely for attacking the enemy directly. I'm guessing Kiseki-O's specialty with that coffin is geared towards confinement. Which is useful if it's necessary to take an enemy alive."

"I'll say…" the blonde girl agreed. "Do you think Yuu's demon has an ability like that too?"

"It's likely but I think it'll be a while before we find out. If there's one thing I've noticed is that Miss Hyakuya appears to have the most unusual relationship with her demon out of us all."

"Oh, how so?"

Shinoa shook her head. "I'm not sure I know how to explain; I just get the feeling it's not the typical human and demon contractor relationship."

"I can see that," Mitsuba agreed. "The way she was singing and moaning in her sleep has me thinking she was living a romance novel."

"Or a musical," Shinoa replied with a touch of humor.

"Which has me thinking, who exactly is Yuichiro Hyakuya? And why did the lieutenant colonel take her in? He doesn't strike me as the fatherly type."

"You're right, he isn't. At least, that's not the impression I ever got of him in all the years we knew each other. But my sister used to tell me that some people have a side to them that they never show to anyone except a person they hold dear to their heart."

"What?" Mitsuba asked, startled by her squad leader's insightfulness. "Do you imply that Guren and Yuu..?"

Before the blonde girl could say the words they both knew was on her mind, Shinoa made a gesture to silence her.

"Shh, Mi-chan. We don't know that so let's not make any hasty assumptions. And even if their relationship is what it appears, it's not our business anyway."

"Hmm… I suppose you're right. Especially since Yuu is also determined to get her orphanage brother back. I get the feeling it's not going to be pretty should that boy and the lieutenant colonel ever cross paths and swords again," Mitsuba said worriedly, her brow furrowing in concern for her raven-haired squad mate.

Shinoa smiled as she gently patted Mitsuba on the back and tried her best to make the other girl feel at ease.

"You worry too much, Mi-chan, it's not like you. And Miss Hyakuya is a big girl; she can take care of herself."

"Hmm… well, I hope you're right, Shinoa. If only for her sake."

Although Shinoa's smile did not leave her face, the purple-haired girl secretly had to admit that she shared her blond friend's sentiment.

I hope so too... she thought.

Footnotes:

1. In the fighting game series, Mortal Kombat, Kitana is a popular character who is the princess of a realm called Edenia. She made her first debut in Mortal Kombat II and every game in the franchise after. In my AU, Kitana is the demon contractor of Risa Harada and bound to her war fans; she manifests as a young woman in a dark-blue leotard and wears her long black hair in a braided bun. I was thinking of Kitana's outfit from the later MK series when I made her Risa's demon.

2. In the anime, DN Angel, Risa Harada is hinted to have taken a romantic interest in Satoshi Hiwatari after Daisuke and Riku confess their love at the end of the series. Satoshi's and Risa's implied romantic interest in each other has been the topic of many DN Angel sequel fanfiction stories. This is anime-only, however. In the manga version of DN Angel, Risa is interested only in Phantom Dark.

3. In canon, male!Yuu reveals and uses Asura-cannon against Kimizuki after he regains consciousness and tries to attack him but I've decided to have fem!Yuu not know of Asuramaru's hidden ability for now. At present, I've yet to decide when I want to have fem!Yuu use Asura-cannon but I'm working on it.