Chapter 8: Yuuichiro

{Shibuya High School: Rooftop, June 25th, 2020, 1:50pm}

"Okay, it's not a big deal! I can do this… I've known him for six months! This is nothing… I can… oh hell!" Shinoa said aloud as she paced the roof top.

She had come up here twenty-minutes early, and now, ten minutes shy of meeting up with Yuuichiro, she was starting to feel a bit jittery. Half of the night last night, she had contemplated telling him that for the last few weeks, she had developed an attraction to him, or perhaps even had started to fall in love with him. Though, it seemed ridiculous at first, Shinoa had slowly begun to accept the notion that she had fallen in love with the snarky, sarcastic, and fiery personality that Yuuichiro possessed, she had started to enjoy hearing him speak, listening to his laughter when he actually did laugh – because, unfortunately, it was rare occurrence with him – she missed him when he wasn't around, she had grown to adore his wiry smile or his confident smirk, and how his messy, and silky black hair fell into his eyes, framing them and showing off the color of they possessed.

That was something she had begun to love the most about him, his beautiful emerald eyes. They had a mischievous glint in them many times, a fiery spark of life and strength, a flicker of his untamed and wild behavior from living in the Vampire City, and the tones of emotion that showed how much pain and suffering he'd endured. There were so many layers and pieces to the puzzle that he was, and she wanted to understand him better. Most of all though, she desired to let him know that she had grown to care for him deeply. She paced one more time, anxious as she muttered to herself, assuring her psyche that she could face him and tell him the truth. She continued this process of mumbling to the point that her mind began to haze over when it came to the details of the entire situation she had gotten herself into.

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity," stated a familiar voice. Shinoa turned around and was met face to face with the boy.

"O-Oh! Yuu! I didn't hear you come up here, um…." she turned pink in the face and looked down.

"Shinoa? Are you okay?" he asked.

"W-What?! I-I'm fine! Why would you think I'm not?" the boy crossed his arms over his chest, the glint of something near his ear catching her attention as she smiled.

"Because, your starting to worry me. You've been acting really weird lately, and I was wondering if you were sick or something," he stated as he reached out and grabbed her hand, warmth flooding her system as she stared into his eyes.

"His hands are so gentle and warm… it's kind of strange…" she thought.

"I um…" emerald eyes softened a bit.

"Look, if its personal, I don't mind you not telling me, but if it's something important, please tell me, and I'll listen… like with you, when you act weird I start to get concerned…." She glanced down.

"The reason I… started acting like this is because… of you…" he rose an eyebrow.

"Because of me? Did I do something wrong?" she shook her head.

"N-No! You didn't do anything wrong, Yuu… it's me…. I realized something about… you and I just…" the boy gave her an unsure look, having long since dropped her hands.

"Shinoa, what's are you talking about?" he asked her.

"I… started to notice how kind you really are, how comforting you can be… your smile, and laughter. I started to notice how your eyes shine with all this light and warmth, but they also show how much pain you've endured… I realized how gentle you can be, but also how strong and brave you are… how loyal you are to not only Mika but others as well… I also saw so much more in you… how different you are… from everyone else here…" she glanced towards him, a blush evident on her face.

"Shinoa… wait what do you mean by all that?" he questioned, a flush evident on his face as well.

"Almost six months of time with you… being around you and Mika… and as more time goes by, and I see how different you are from when I first met you… I realized that I…. don't just care about you as a friend… I think I'm…" the boy's emerald eyes widened.

"What are you saying? That you…" she looked down slightly, humiliation flooding through her body.

"It's obvious that he doesn't feel this way for me… this is horrible…" she thought as tears burned her eyes a bit.

"I…" the boy looked to her in concern.

"Are you s-saying that you… l-love me?" he questioned, stammering a bit, a deep blush now on his face.

"I-I…um…. I don't… know really, I mean… I… think I may have started to… fall in love w-with you, but I… d-doubt you feel that way for me… I m-mean we're colleagues, n-not…" he stared at her, wide-eyed.

"Shinoa… you…" she shook her head.

"I know I'm being stupid! There's no way you feel that way about me! I mean… I'm just the surveillance officer that's bugged you like crazy for six months… then I end up being assigned to your team… you probably think that you can't seem to get rid of me, huh? So, I'm just going t-to…" the girl turned to leave, looking down at the ground so not to show that she felt like she was going to cry.

The moment she went to head for the door though, warm arms wrapped around her in a surprisingly comforting embrace. Tangerine eyes widened as she realized that it was the black-haired boy that had pulled her to him. She felt a burn in her eyes, but refused to cry as he rested his head atop her own, arms holding her close as she listened to the pounding of her own heart. There was a part of her that despised how this one person made her feel so out of control just because he looked to her, talked with her, touched her. She hated it, but at the same time, she felt so much regret and sorrow at the prospect of it not being genuine - love being mistaken for friendly fondness – or her feelings being rejected.

As the thoughts burned through her mind, a shaky breath left the boy as he turned her in his arms and held her close, cradling her head to his chest, comforting her in a manner that she hadn't expected as she felt a faint ache develop in her chest as she knotted her fingers in his shirt, closing her eyes tightly as she waited for him to speak, wondering why she was seeking comfort in a person who was likely to break her heart. As for Yuuichiro, he didn't know exactly what to do, he didn't think he was the world's greatest at comforting people, even though he did his best because when he looked at someone, he could see if they were in pain and he felt the need to go to them.

Even though he wasn't certain why, for as long as he could remember, when he touched someone that was in duress, they would calm almost instantly, their pains and fears ebbed away just at the slightest touch from him, and that strange instinct had caused him to reach for the girl. Shinoa, he felt was hurting somewhere, but he couldn't place where it was. He felt it radiate off her like a wave of frigid wind, and it nearly took his breath even as he held her close to him. He closed his eyes as he placed a hand atop her head and tried to think of what to do for her as the girl remained still and quiet in his arms. Yuuichiro wondered if what she had said was true, did she have feelings for him? And if she did, how did he feel for her? Taking in a slightly shaky breath once more, he glanced to her as she kept her face buried in his chest and sighed.

"Can I ask you a question?" he muttered against her hair.

"O-Okay…" she felt his arms tighten around her.

"Is this why you're acting so strange? Because you think you're in love with me?" he asked, his voice soft as she tensed.

"I-I um…" the boy sighed, closing his eyes.

"Please just answer me, okay?" he questioned.

"I-I… think… no… I know that I'm… in love with you… I just…" he shook his head, holding her as close as he could as he tried to steel himself a bit as his mind went momentarily back to Akane and the kiss she'd given him. Yes, once, he had possessed feelings for the girl, but it wasn't there anymore, because the emotions and all that related to her, died with her. The way he felt right now, holding Shinoa in his arms, reminded him of how that strange thrill of joy and emotion felt when he had been around Akane, and now as he considered what was said, he realized this was something more than just a mere childhood crush.

"I think I have… similar feelings," he admitted, causing her to gasp a bit, blushing as she glanced up to him.

"W-What? You… do?" he nodded, glancing to the side as he kept his arms around her.

"It's kind of weird… but, ever since I met you, I felt a bit different… like the wall I'd built up couldn't be kept in place around you… like if something happened to you, I would feel wrong because you weren't there anymore… like I couldn't move on. I think…" she smiled just a bit, moving closer.

"You're very different than I expected…. That's a good thing, I'm glad…" she muttered as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Even though to be honest, I kind of thought you were just there to get under me and Mika's skin…" she shrugged.

"I'm not just a person who did it because I could. After I met you guys for the first time… I just… I don't know… I started doing those kinds of things because I cared for you and him… but also because I wanted to make sure you were okay…" the boy sighed moving back a bit.

"I think I get it, but we… can we even do this?" tangerine eyes looked to him.

"Of course, no one really cares about statuses or what not… they want this kind of thing to happen," she stated as she looked him over before running her hand from his chest to his stomach, causing a blush to come to his cheeks as he gave her a confused look.

"What are you doing?" she smiled widely.

"You're not really muscular, but you have a nice build to you… lithe, but slight muscle tone… hmm… that means your still soft enough to be comfy," she said as she nuzzled into his chest, hugging him as she did so, causing his blush to darken.

"I was right, you're a perverted little nut-job." She giggled.

"And you're a cherry boy… I can fix that," Shinoa gave him a suggestive look and he went deep red.

"Oh no! Shinoa, whoa! Hold on! Wait!" he said as his felt his blush darken as she slid a finger to the waist of his pants and she laughed as she watched his startled expression while he backed away and she shook her head as she reached up and placed a hand on his cheek.

"I'm kidding… I don't think that's something to be wasted on a newfound thing. Let's see where this goes, until then…" he rose an eyebrow.

"Until then, what?" she leaned up on her toes a bit and placed a gentle kiss to his cheek as he stared at her in surprise.

"You can keep that… but I want to keep this under wraps. I don't want anyone finding out about us and spreading nasty rumors," she said as he sighed.

"No problem…. Mika will figure it out eventually. He always seems to know when I'm hiding something…" he smiled to her and she grasped his hand, intertwining their fingers and taking note that his own hand wasn't much bigger than hers.

"I think I could get used to that smile being directed at me," she said. He glanced to the side.

"Well, I'm… not used to this kind of thing… so, um… how are we supposed to go about this?" Shinoa thought for a moment.

"If we act like we're just friends, that should help out…" she stated as Yuuichiro sighed.

"Okay…. I guess that'll be fine…" she smiled as she looked to him.

"Admittedly, I never thought you would be the one to admit your feelings so swiftly… it's nice… to know that there's a heart in there somewhere," she teased as he rolled his eyes.

"Sure, I could say the same for you Shinoa…." Tangerine met emerald.

"Then we're good for each other… I'm going to make sure you don't get into too much trouble, and I'm going to be sure that you don't do something stupid… I don't want you hurt," she stated as he sighed once more.

"I'm not going anywhere." She leaned against him a bit.

"Good…."

{Apartments: June 28th, 2020, 9:45am}

Several days after Shinoa and Yuuichiro had started a somewhat tentative relationship, the teenagers had been informed that they would soon be departing from the high school and would begin their lives as members of the Moon Demon Company. It was a surreal feeling, something that seemed surprisingly out of place with how their lives had been going thus far. Mika had told Yuu that things were going to be different, and it would take some adjusting, but he still questioned how long it would take, and why it suddenly seemed out of place to be returning to the field. With a sigh, Yuuichiro leaned back in his chair, the sun filtering in through the window he sat by while he considered that tomorrow, would be his official last day of school.

"Come on, don't look so put out, we've been waiting for this," Mika said as he looked at the other.

"I'm not put out. I just… I don't even know… it feels weird… knowing that we're leaving so much behind…" the blonde smiled as he shook his head and went back to washing the dishes, as per their bargain, if one cooked, the other cleaned, and since his brother had fixed breakfast that morning, it was his turn to do the dishes.

"We've always been leaving things behind… so, this shouldn't bother you so much. That's how the world has always worked: you leave one thing in the past to bring something else to the future… why are you so worried?" he questioned as the other shrugged.

"Putting the uniform back on, stepping out into the battlefield, doing battle with the Four Horsemen of John, the Vampires, and the other monsters out there… seems like our break from reality is over huh, Mika?" the other looked down at the sink as he let the water run out.

"Guess so, but are you ready? To go into battle again? I mean, before we came to the school… you got beaten up pretty bad…" the black-haired teenager rose an eyebrow.

"You were beaten up too! Bandages from your feet up to your head! You had a broken wrist and a spranged ankle!" Yuu pointed out as the blonde sighed.

"And you had to wear an eyepatch for weeks because of the shrapnel that you got in it. Honestly, you should be thankful that you still can see let alone still have that eye." The boy rolled his eyes.

"Yea, yea… I know… I didn't have to wear it for long though!" he stated as Mika finished with the dishes and dried his hands.

"That may be, but still… you had Guren worried… not to mention poor Sayuri just about had a heart attack." Yuuichiro sighed as he pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head against them.

"So, you're ready to step out there again?" he asked as Mika walked into the living room, sitting down on the nearby sofa.

"I guess…. I mean… would I like to take a longer break knowing that we're finally getting to where we've been striving for? Yea, but the longer we wait, the further some goals seem to be getting…" the black-haired boy sighed in defeat, emerald eyes closing.

"Yea, your right… so, now what?" he questioned.

"What do you mean? We're about to get to the start of our futures… we're going to be fighting for what we've wanted for so long… come on Yuu, think about it." Mika stood and walked over to his brother and placed a hand atop his head as he glanced down into slightly tired green eyes.

"Guess it just feels weird. Can you believe that Lieutenant Colonel Busybody, is gonna let us join the Moon Demon Company? I was starting to think he wouldn't let us because we're… well…" Mika sighed.

"Different? Yea, I know…" he stated as his brother leaned back in his seat.

"I guess that can't be helped huh?" the blonde shook his head.

"Nope… so, you gotta go meet Shinoa in a bit, right? you ready?" Yuuichiro sighed.

"Might as well be…" the other nodded once more.

"Right you are."

{Training Halls: June 28th, 2020, 12:02pm}

While Mika had been given Guren to deal with for specialized training, Shinoa had been granted the task of handling Yuuichiro's own personal training to further his skill with his Cursed Gear while Kimizuki would be stuck with Mika, and Yoichi would be getting training with Sayuri. The black-haired teenager sighed as he thought of the coming days, he hadn't been particularly thrilled about having an entire week with nothing to really do before he began working for the Moon Demon Company; however, he supposed it could be put to good use. At current, his training had focused solely upon his Cursed Gear, which he was getting better with, but some part of him wondered if there was more he could do.

Since the day he had activated his Cursed Gear and used the powers of his Demon to help save Yoichi's life, he hadn't been capable of doing it on the same frequency, and his own Psychometric ability was starting to falter to some degree. He couldn't control it, and if he tried the pain made it unbearable to even try one simple thing with it. A heavy sigh left him as he turned his thoughts away from it, wondering if the power he'd been able to use that day had come mostly from his desperation to not have to kill his friend. As his mind mulled these things over, Shinoa came towards him with a smile upon her face, beginning to speak with him as his mind continued to process the past events and what they were facing.

They were nearing their first mission, and for some reason, the idea of using his Gifts had come into mind quite often lately, and he wondered if perhaps using it would be of some use to him. Emerald eyes looked to the periwinkle-haired girl who had been assisting him with his Cursed Gear for the last couple of hours, and an idea sprang forth in his mind. It was risky, and could cause him severe damage; however, he felt as if it was a necessary evil at this point, no matter how much he knew it would hurt.

"So, how about during our training, we swap some stories hmm?" Shinoa suggested with a smile as he sighed.

"Who are you? And what have you done with Shinoa?" he gave her a questioning look and the girl laughed.

"You're just too cute, I'm just saying that if we talked a bit while training, maybe we could get to know each other better. We're in a relationship, so knowing what we like, and dislike is a good thing, plus it builds a partnership as teammates as well," she stated as he shrugged, seeming distracted.

"I guess you have a point…" Shinoa frowned at his detached statement.

"Yuu? Is something wrong?" she questioned as she came closer to him.

"Not really… I've just… been thinking lately…" the girl gave him a concerned look.

"Does this have to do with one of your Gifts?" she inquired as he nodded slowly.

"Yea, it does… um… I was wondering something…" the girl gave him a long look and took note that he seemed anxious about something.

"What is it?" Shinoa probed.

"I wanted to know if you'd help me practice with my Psychometry… I know it strains me, and it's a risk but… if we were to end up going against a Noble…" Shinoa frowned at his statement.

"The last few times I saw you use it, it made you so sick… I don't know…" the black-haired boy looked to her, sharp emerald staring her down.

"Shinoa, I have to use it. If we get into some kind of fight against a Noble, we won't stand a chance! If I have a gift, especially one this powerful, I need to use it and hone it, so it'll help us more than hinder us. please, help me learn how to control it better," he asked, grabbing her hands, looking into her eyes as he did. Instantly, the anxiety that had flared up within her, calmed as though the mere touch he granted soothed her fears. She looked up into his eyes and sighed.

"I guess we don't really have a choice huh? I mean, what good is a gift you can't use right?" she smiled to him as she reached up and brushed his bangs from his face and he smiled to her.

"Thank you…" she frowned.

"But I don't want you using it all the time if you can avoid it. Only use it if a Noble comes for us and we can't fight him off. If your trained with it, I think you'll be able to heighten your senses to aid us whenever you want at the very least," Shinoa told him as he nodded.

"Okay, I'll follow your rules." The girl smiled.

"Alright, so, how do you activate it?" she questioned.

"Umm… I don't really know… I've only been able to engage it a few times… but from what I can tell, my emotions and desires seem to trigger it. The last time was because I wanted save Yoichi… and I got pissed because Guren hit me… with Kimizuki it was because I wanted to let him know that he can't talk down to others and shouldn't take things so lightly or think lowly of other people…" the girl hummed.

"What about the first time?" she asked, and he thought on it.

"It was the day I copied off the Vampire… that killed our family. I grabbed him before…"

"Die…."

"Before what? Yuu?" Shinoa inquired.

"Before, I told him to die, and… put a bullet through his skull." He looked a bit stressed at the statement; however, she saw it as an opportunity to help him.

"You get uncomfortable when you talk about the past. But, the past is what has helped shape you into the person you are now… so, tell me… what were you feeling?" she queried as she watched him, and he looked down for a moment.

"Let me think… rage? Fear? That I… wanted to defend my loved ones? That I wanted to stop him and all those like him?" Shinoa smiled.

"It's your emotions and what you desire, like you said. Mika and you both lost everything that day, and because of all the suffering you'd already endured, you sought to protect him as well as yourself. Because of that, you did what you felt was right. You defend everyone you care for… you're a guardian, it's the kind of person you are," she stated as he glanced her way.

"I guess…" she smiled to him, taking his hands once again.

"We'll start with trying to find a center for you. We know it's emotion based, but like any gift that's been put on our records, they can be controlled at will. Psychometry is rarer than most, but its further studied than something like Abjure or Naturopathy, so, what I want to do is get you focused on the energy that stems from the power and from there, we'll see if we can channel it," she said as he paused for a moment.

"When I was trying to save Yoichi, I channeled that ability during the entire time from when Guren hit me to the time when he came to his senses… I had complete control over it…" the girl nodded.

"What were you thinking of? We know that through emotion, it reacts, almost like a defense mechanism. What did you feel when you had control though? That can give us a starting point that has a more grounded sense for you." The black-haired boy looked down for a moment, thinking back to the point when he felt Guren hit him.

"Anger... fear… guilt…"

I was angry… and scared… but more than anything, I felt guilty for not helping Yoichi sooner, for being too weak to save him from it," he answered.

"Close your eyes… I want you to think about the moment when you faced the Demon alone. Go back to that second and think about what you felt and why you chose to do that."

Emerald eyes closed, and he focused on the memory, thinking about the sensation of that moment. The rush that had went through him when he realized in only passing that he was not being overtaken by the energy that had been taken from the Vampire. It had been working with him, easing his motions and aiding his stride as he faced an opponent that in most senses, should have terrified him to no end. He recalled the sense of calm, the thrum of power, and the surge of his will to protect his friend, and stop the Demon that was controlling him. He remembered pleading within himself to stay in control and let whatever was fueling the control to remain intact so he could protect the ones he loved. Slowly, his eyes opened and looked towards Shinoa in realization.

"I wanted to protect him and the rest of you… I wanted to defend my family… so… my trigger was the desire to protect those I love." She nodded.

"Good, focus on it, and don't let it go. Remember what you felt when you were in control, draw your sword and fight me, Yuu!" she said as she spun her scythe in her grasp and he drew Asuramaru.

"Okay…" she nodded.

"Now, come and get me!" she told him as he looked to her and his emerald eyes slowly grew lighter and brighter in shade, turning an acidic green as he went into a stance and then lunged forward, striking with a great deal of strength as Shinoa smiled and continued to fight him. It was a risk, just as he said, but with some training and a little bit of time, Shinoa had full belief that he could manage it.

{Shibuya High School: June 29th, 2020, 11:45am}

Shinoa hummed to herself as the teacher continued to discuss the lesson of the day while those of her unit listened, but much like herself, didn't bother with notes. There had been endless rumors about the Hyakuya brothers since the attack by the vampire a few weeks ago, and all of them seemed to connect back to the fact that the two boys appeared to have a deep connection to the Moon Demon Company because of one Lieutenant Colonel Ichinose Guren. While the rumors did have quite a bit of truth to them, there were some facts that didn't quite fit. The major one being that they were given a promotion and would be continuing their investigations at the school for some strange reason. Shinoa rolled her eyes as she thought about the idiocy of those around her and their lack of decorum when it came to those who were members of the Moon Demon Company.

"Yuu, Mika, Kimizuki, and Yoichi are getting plenty of attention from the other students; however, the rumors are what is getting to me…"

The bell for break rang, allowing everyone to go to lunch of off to do whatever they wanted for the next hour. Shinoa walked over to the black-haired boy not far from her and grabbed his hand, making him stand as she took off out of the room and he quickly followed so not to trip as Mika, Kimizuki, and Yoichi watched them leave before the pink-haired bi-spectacled teen huffed, rolling his eyes as he started to eat his meal while Mika shook his head in defeat and Yoichi stared onward in confusion. This had been the way things went for several days, and while the brunette boy figured there was a reason behind it, it was still slightly strange to see Mikaela without his brother just nearby. Sighing, the olive-eyed boy started to eat while the blonde across from him was reading a book on Cursed Gear and picking away at his own meal.

"They must think we're really dense," Kimizuki muttered.

"What are you talking about?" sapphire-blue met grayish-brown.

"It's pretty obvious Shinoa and your brother are doing something," he stated.

"What do you mean by something?" Kimizuki looked to Yoichi.

"Things that I think are a little to mature for your ears," he pointed out as Yoichi blushed while Mika glared.

"That's ridiculous! Shinoa offered to help him train to use his weapon better, and she's been helping him get a better grip on his Psychometric ability with a little bit of exercises with it active. He wants to use his abilities to their fullest, so they practice sometimes during their free periods at school!" Mika's explanation seemed to ease Yoichi; however, it did little to nothing for Kimizuki Shiho.

"Okay, then why aren't you getting the same treatment?" he probed.

"I'm managing on my own…. I haven't copied off something before, unlike Yuu. So, I don't need the same kind of training and practices. Yes, I have another gift called Abjure; however, I don't need to practice with it as much as Yuu does for his Psychometric ability." The pink-haired teen sighed.

"Why is it that the two of you have Gifts?" Yoichi smiled to the other.

"Well, like Sayuri explained yesterday, people who contracted the virus and didn't die from it, were somehow able to mutate it within their bodies, and thus people with special abilities came forth. The Japanese Imperial Demon Army trains these people and puts them out into the battle field because they're a great asset to the groups they're in. Yuu and Mika's gifts will help us, just like…" Mika smiled.

"Don't forget, you were stated to have a gift as well, Yoichi," he pointed out as the brunette flushed a bit.

"I don't even know how I do… Kimizuki, you have one too, don't you?" the pink-haired teen swallowed his bite of food before looking at the others.

"Something like that I guess… it's electrical in basis… but I've only used it once during training with Guren… by the way, how's that training going with Sayuri?" he asked as Yoichi glanced down.

"Bad… I have the gift known as Sentry, but I can't even use it properly. We're going on leave for a week before we start our first mission… and I want to be able to use it for a little while by that time, but I'm beginning to think it's impossible." Mika smiled to him.

"That's why Yuu's working so hard, and so are the rest of us. we're striving to do better, and we will. Yoichi, it's not instant, but as time goes on, you'll get better at it. So, don't give up just yet, okay? In time, you'll be able to use it," he assured him as the brunette smiled slowly.

"Thanks, Mika…" the other shrugged.

"Any time… you have any clue how often I have to give Yuu a pep-talk? Or him to me?" Kimizuki eyed the blonde.

"I got a question, if someone with the kind of powers of your brother was set lose on a bunch of vampires and he used his gifts in tangent with his Cursed Gear…" Mika shook his head.

"That'd be a remarkable strain on his body…" Yoichi frowned.

"Isn't that why we're learning to use our Gifts alongside our Cursed Gear?" Mika nodded.

"Yea, but without proper training with it and time to get adapted to it… listen, when I used my Gift unknowingly to help Yoichi back when he was possessed, it drained me dry. I was exhausted beyond all comprehension… if Yuu were to do something like that without a good bit of practice and time to build up his durability with it… I wouldn't have to think very hard on whether or not it would severally damage, if not kill him," he said. The two sitting with him grew somber at the statement.

"Are you saying that even you could die from that?" the blonde nodded at the question.

"There's a good chance that I could suffer from similar problems. It wouldn't take much to harm our bodies... especially with that much power output… if you lose that much energy that quick, it can stop your heart, shut down organs… and even end your life… people have died from exhaustion before," Mika explained as Kimizuki looked down to his lunch while Yoichi took a few bites, hoping to distract himself from the idea.

It was left unsaid, but the statement rang true for even him and Kimizuki. Without proper training, if they attempted to use their Gifts with or even without their Cursed Gear, the backlash, the draining effect they had on them, could kill them without much trouble. It was a terrifying thought; however, Yoichi knew as well as he was certain Mika did, that not using them wasn't an option in the world they lived in. They had to hone those gifts over the time frame that they could and use as much of it as possible when the time came, and that meant that even if he or any of them were having a hard time with controlling their gifts, they would have to merely push on, and continue to fight.

"It's… kind of scary to think of being killed by something your body allows you to do," Yoichi muttered, the thought lingering unwillingly in his mind.

"No kidding… but we've got to keep fighting and training with them, don't we?" Mika nodded.

"Yea, especially since we're going to be on the same team," he said as Kimizuki nodded.

"Yes, especially when… wait… WE'RE WHAT?!"

{…..}

If it means the death of me, I won't let go…

{…}

Author's Note: I admit it, I despise rewrites with a passion! However, there is a reason for this, and it mostly stems from me not liking how there were some major holes in the first one, and some serious goof-ups on my part. Thus, Final Synthesis is here. I hope everyone is enjoying it, and I had to put in Kimizuki's little spastic moment at the end, it is still one of the funniest moments in the story, and if you read the original, you know how much we need that later on. Now, see you guys later, and tell me what you think.

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.