AC: Hello everyone. For those who wonder when Bal will appear in the story, it will be after the season focusing on Yamigedo.

Tetsuya walked in corridors of the school.

I wonder why he called me. He asked himself. He continued walking toward his destination when Asmodai appeared in front of him.

"Well. What are you doing here my friend? I thought we were supposed to meet at the roof during lunchtime?" Asmodai asked.

Tetsuya replied, "I planned to come later. Shido wanted to talk with me and I'm going there right now. I'm just wondering what he wants to talk about."

Asmodai sighed and replied, "Going to see him alone? Isn't it a little risky."

"Shido isn't a bad guy you know," the boy replied with a smile.

"I think you know who I'm talking about. I'm talking about Gallows. Even if he's playing nice right now, you know who he really is right?" Asmodai asked.

The boy nodded, "I'll be careful. It's just talking with Shido about something. He'll just chill with some sweet music I bring with me."

Not the kind of things that make that dark monster chill. He's more bloodthirsty. Asmodai thought, "Maybe," even if he thought I wasn't risky, he was feeling uneasy, "I'll come with you. Forbidden or not."

"That's awesome yo," Tetsuya replied.

Asmodai was secretly relieved Tetsuya didn't mind. They reached the room where Shido was. They entered in the room of the class president, who was nervously waiting for them.

"Yo there Shido. Why did you call me here?" Tetsuya went straight to business.

Shido was nervous, which made Asmodai more uneasy about their presence here, "W-well. You see. I've called you here because..." Dammit. I didn't have time to think of a reason. Of course, Gallows has to push me in doing this now when I'm not ready.

Asmodai walked forward, his buddy not far behind and asked with a smile, "Okay. Why did Gallows wants us to be here?"

"W-well-" he put his hands on his desk and accidentally pressed the trapdoor below them.

"That's not good," Tetsuya said before they felt right in.

Shido gasped when Gallows appeared near him, "Sha Sha Sha! You are devious you know that Shido?"

Shido turned toward him with a panicked face, "I- d-didn't-"

Gallows eyes expanded, "It was really an accident!"

Shido nodded positively.

Gallows raised his shoulder and said, "Well. It worked. Anyway, I'm going to slow them down there. Sha. Sha," before disappearing from the room.

Chapter 65: Success. Kiri's Mind Is Open

Terumi heard her cellphone ringing and she answered it, "Who is it?"

"-It's Shido. Tetsuya and Asmodai had been taken care off. They fall in the trapdoor and Gallows will slow them down.-"

"Good. I'll go take care of Kiri," Terumi replied.

Shido then said, "-Gallows said something yesterday. He was wondering if you were disguised with the skull mask.-"

Terumi remembered when she crossed his path, but she was sure he didn't recognise her, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"-Then he's wrong. I don't believe you would do that,-" Shido said, without realising how wrong he was.

Terumi grumbled, "Gallows opened his mouth... if he even had a mouth."

She searched for Kiri and looked around. It wasn't long before she found him, with Joker. Kiri's headache was bad and present. Terumi noticed he was putting his hand over his head while Joker seemed less calm and collected than before. The headache might be getting too long.

Joker might try to find what cause it personally soon. I don't have much time to handle it. She looked around and saw no one around them. I just need to approach them discreetly. It won't be that difficult since those two are out of the way.

She walked closer to the duo, making sure she attracted their attention. She prepared her stick and her spellcard, ready to cast it when she was close enough. As she walked closer, she told herself, Stay calm and natural. They cannot see the stick in my right hand. I need to casually walk forward as if I was just doing what I always did.

Asmodai landed on the ground with Tetsuya in his arms. He put the boy on the ground and looked around, "Well. We are in caverns?"

"Oh yeah. Gao talked about it once Yo. It was when they fought Gallows," Tetsuya replied.

Asmodai grumbled, "That Shido got us there," he thought about it, "If he did it on purpose. I don't know."

"We should get out of here yo. Can you climb back up?" Tetsuya asked.

Asmodai raised his shoulder, "I don't have wings and I don't think I can jump back up if the trapdoor is closed. I don't have enough momentum."

"We can get out of here like with a spell... card," Tetsuya searched for his deck and didn't find it, "I don't have my deck yo!"

Asmodai chuckled, "Don't worry. We don't need it, plus. You left them in the locker. You teacher doesn't like when you have them in class after all."

Tetsuya chuckled, "Yeah. He didn't like my trick," He had a flashback when he blasted the furniture's away and lost an hour cleaning everything before starting class, "Can't have them in class because of that. Students and the teacher don't like it."

Asmodai didn't reply and grinned when he remembered what his buddy told him the first time. He did laugh loudly at that. He looked around and found a path they could take, "Follow me. Maybe this will get us out of here."

The boy replied, "Yes yo!" and followed his buddy.

They walked in the corridor, leading to an unknown place. They weren't aware of it, but Gallows was following them. Flying not to close to them, but not far enough to lose them.

"Sha. Sha. Sha. I need to find a way to slow them down. They are going toward another exit," he grumbled. He was playing with his claw when he had an idea. He chuckled evilly as moved closer to them.

Terumi was passing just behind Kiri and Joker. She took one side-glance and mentally smiled when she knew Joker wasn't giving any attention to her. She pointed her stick toward Kiri and whispered quietly, "Cast. Mind Breaker."

The spellcard released its energy on Kiri and made him felt on the ground.

"Kiri!" Joker yelled before gently picking the boy up without hurting him, "What happen?"

Terumi quickly hid the stick and dashed toward them, changing her neutral face to a worried one, "Did something happen?"

Joker turned toward her, no suspicion on his frozen face, "He just felt on the ground. I don't know why... I just can't help him."

Terumi put her hand on the boy forehead, "He hasn't any fever. Maybe he's tired."

"He had a headache for a long time and no medication helped him," Joker replied a little harshly.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know," she replied, turning her eyes away from him, no in shame or hurt, but to hide a glimpse of joy in her eyes.

Joker sighed, "You didn't know," he lifted Kiri's and walked toward the school, "Thanks for your concern."

Terumi nodded and watched Joker walking away. Once he was in the school, she lightly grinned and said, "Mission accomplished," she sighed, "It would have been much easier if those two was out of the way from the start."

She took out her spellcard and checked on it, This spellcard name is so misguiding. It's not about breaking someone's mind, but breaking the mind defenses. Maybe it's just the impression... Although, it's scary that the Darkness Dragon world invented this spellcard, she walked away and concluded, "It's not important. It's for master Kyoya."

Tetsuya followed his buddy and looked around. He didn't see anything interesting in this place except for the corridors of stone, "Yo Asmodai. Do you think this place was made before the school or with it?"

Asmodai turned toward the boy and replied with a smile, "How should I know? I wasn't there when it was made."

Gallows flew closer of the duo and hid before a door when the demon turned toward him. He took a glance and chuckled, "Time to slow them down."

He flew near Tetsuya and touched his shoulder before hiding again.

Tetsuya turned behind him and said, "Did you touch me Asmodai?"

"No. I didn't," Asmodai replied. He took a glance behind him and frowned, not liking this.

I know it's lame, but this will make them more nervous before I go more... me. He said in his mind.

He continued his fun as he pocked them and waited for them to get annoyed. Eventually, he found it boring and decided to end this. The duo was close of the exit and he still had to win time. If he knew it was already over, he wouldn't do anything.

Gallows appeared in front of them in his real and intimidating form, "Hello there. Do you like my surprise? Sha. Sha."

"I'm sorry, but no yo. We need to eat soon before class started again," Tetsuya replied.

Gallows was dumb founded by his reply.

Tetsuya gave a thumb up at Asmodai. The pink demon put himself in battlestance and ordered, "Let us out of here Gallows."

Gallows grumbled and replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't fight you. Orders of Azi Dahara."

"Then why are you in our way yo?" Tetsuya asked.

The Darkness creature replied, "It's getting boring scaring Shido. I need to have some fun."

Asmodai grinned, "Then you should listen to music or dance around."

Gallows didn't reply at the sudden change of mood coming from the demon. Maybe the fact that they weren't about to fight stopped putting him in defensive, "I don't like music and I'm not a clown."

Asmodai picked one banana in Tetsuya hair and threw it, "Take a banana."

Gallows looked at it and was just unfocused by the randomness when the fruit landed in his claw. He remembered they fought the first time they met and Asmodai didn't show something like that. At the time he recovered, Asmodai and Tetsuya were gone to freedom.

"Sha! They got me with... Banana!" Gallows yelled furiously. He then crossed his arms and said, "I will never speak about this to anyone. I'll be the subject of mockery... For those who knows what a banana is," he ate it and grumbled. He then commented in delight, "Not bad. And no human hair in it too."

Kiri grumbled quietly as he opened his eyes. He saw Joker near him, "Joker?" his buddy looked at him, but said nothing, "What happen?"

"Kiri... I'm," Joker joyfully said, "So glad you're back. You just lost consciousness without any reason. Was the headache hurting you too much? I should have-"

Kiri put his hand over his forehead, Wait... My headache... It's gone, he realised. He looked at his buddy and lightly smiled, "Joker. I'm feeling better."

Joker said nothing, but the boy knew the news was cheering him up, "Really? How is that possible? You took some medication and-" he shook his head, "No matter. My heart is melting in joy. I don't care if it's painful that it's melting."

Kiri chuckled, "Glad you can joke again Joker."

Neither was aware of what transcended when Terumi used her spell. The darkness coming from the Dark Core.

AC: End of this chapter.

The next one will be before the tournament: The Night Before The Tournament.