Chapter 25—Fear Becoming Reality

"How is she doing?" Edmund asked as he entered the control room. On one wall from floor to ceiling there were a variety of monitors. Sitting in front of them with a view of everything sat Bleathe. Next to her stood a young woman with blond hair that was watching her with a gentle love. Edmund didn't care about the other young woman though. His eyes sought out the room that he had deposited Hika in.

"She's just waking up," Bleathe said, bringing one of the monitors down to the middle for easier view.

"Let her out. It's time for her to fight," Edmund said before turning form the room. "Oh, her opponent is in the ballroom. Make sure she gets there Alis."

The blond haired woman turned to look at Edmund and bowed. "Yes sir."

/

Hika was checking out the relatively large room that she found herself in. She reached up and winced as her fingers ran over stitched up ears. She felt a small amount of fear as she realized that she had no defense against Bleathe if she ran into her. Slowly she checked everywhere before turning to the double doors that she hadn't even attempted to open. While that may have been logical for most people, she didn't ever assume that something would be the easiest. Especially not with the demons that had hurt her already.

When she neared the doors they opened wide to reveal a beautiful woman in a floor length dress. Her blond-gold hair was arranged around her face to give an almost surreal picture. The dress was a sun-bronze color while her lipstick and eyelids had been painted the same color.

"If you will follow me Lady," the girl said, her blue eyes sparkling with humor, "I will take you to a place that you could win your freedom." She then turned and moved from the doorway. She held her head tall and led the way down long, large hallways. She didn't check to see if the girl followed, seeming to trust the half-demon.

Hika looked around the room and then followed the woman. She set her senses on high just to be safe though. What she found in the large ballroom that she was eventually led into was not what she had readied herself for. She had been ready for a fight against Bleathe or Edmund, or a thousand other demons but not Him.

Kneeling, chained to the floor, was Ryota. He looked battered but alive. Hika ran passed her guide and dropped to her knees next to her brother. She was undoing his bindings when he began to chuckle. It was a dark chuckle that wasn't like the kind one he had provided her many times to hear since he had joined the family again.

"So Edmund was right," he said, his hand pulling free of the bindings without a single problem, taking Hika by the throat. Hika squeaked and then grunted as she was thrown against one of the nearby walls. Ryota rose from his position on the floor and looked over at her with a sadistic grin. "Oh this shall be fun. Do you know how long I've wanted to fight you properly Hika? Just you versus me without any holding back? Ages."

Hika stared up at him, knowing almost instantly what was going on. His voice had the same crackle that all the other possessed victims had. This angered her more than she had thought it would. After he had returned, Ryota and Hika had bonded, they had become strong together. Ryota had been worried about Kuronue hurting her and he'd been worried about her ever since Charlie died. Now they were going to use him to hurt her? Oh no, she would not allow that. Now she wouldn't allow that at all.

"Get out of him and come fight me yourself then," Hika said as she straightened.

"Oh but I might break a nail that way. No, I think Ryota would be a better form of fighting you out of sheer self-preservation. Come, before I kill Ryota like I killed that kid back at the track meet. Then Ryota's death would be on your hands as well. How can you sleep at night?" Ryota asked her, stalking towards her.

"I can sleep because I know it's your fault that they died. And I'll make sure you don't get a chance to hurt Ryota," Hika growled before leaping forward, taking the offensive. She knew Ryota's fighting style almost as well as he knew hers. She would dodge and he'd be there, ready to strike out at her only to have her dodge because she knew he would throw that punch.

She was fighting forward, offensively whenever she could. Ryota and Hika both took punches that they should have been able to miss if they hadn't both been fighting offensively. Bleathe didn't care how much pain she put Ryota in, but Hika did. She aimed her punches and kicks at the sensitive areas of his body that would do the most damage with the least long lasting effect to him.

It came down to them both panting an hour later. Hika could feel unconsciousness creeping in. She could tell that Ryota was close to that point to. She launched herself forward with the last of her strength and smashed into Ryota with all her might. His arms locked around her and Bleathe laughed.

"You knock him out, I'll just find some other way to get him killed. You'll never win. If you knock Ryota out, I'll just jump to Alis there and kill him with her powers. If you get knocked out then I'll leave him but you'll never be allowed to leave." Bleathe taunted through Ryota's body.