Chapter 25: Preparations for the assault
Keima and Hana sat on the couch opposite to Ryou. He carefully placed a tray containing glasses and a jug of water. He placed himself on an opposite couch, folding his legs gracefully. His face sparkled, making Hana blink at him. Is he trying to seduce me? Ryou folded his arms, smiling at Keima.
"My capturing god… how may I assist you?"
Keima's glasses glinted from the ceiling.
"I have heard rumours that you can make six girls fall in love with you at once."
Ryou chuckled heart-warmingly, unfolding his legs.
"Ah… you're having a bit of trouble with this particular girl of yours. And you need me to help you win her heart right?"
Keima lowered his eyelids. Oh my god… why did he jump to conclusions like that?
"What I'm trying to say is that maybe you could help me make girls fall for someone else, so that no girl would have to be with me."
Ryou chuckled again.
"Oh yes, I can also help you with…"
Ryou opened his eyes, blinking at Keima.
"Wait, you wanted to break up with the girls you're with?"
Keima frowned at Ryou, feeling his head fuming with rage. He leaned forward, shouting at him and feeling his head growing big.
"I AM NOT IN A GOD-DAMN RELATIONSHIP! THESE GIRLS ARE TRYING TO GET TO ME!"
Ryou continued blinking at Keima. He lifted his fingers up, staring at them.
"Boys… don't like… girls? That doesn't make any sense!"
Hana sighed, folding her arms.
"What he's trying to say was that he doesn't want any girls bothering him. And so he needs someone to help with that."
Ryou tiled his head, blinking at her.
"But… I'm not good with breakup situations…"
Keima pushed his palm on his face, gritting his teeth. This damn guy's bloody dense! Is he even the messenger of god? He lifted himself from the couch, pointing at Ryou.
"What I would like you to do is to go meet up with a person and teach him how to capture a girl's heart – one of the girls that have been bothering me and is NOT in a relationship with me. That way, the girls will leave me alone, and these girls will get their happy-ever-after treatment. Do you understand now?"
Ryou paused for a moment. He slowly moved his hand to his chin, humming to himself. Suddenly, a light bulb appeared above his head, granting him an idea inside his brain.
"So you wanted me to tell the girls not to see you anymore?"
Keima's eyes twitch repeatedly. I swear to god… I don't care if reality would do something about it… BUT I WANNA HIT THIS GUY SO BAD!
"Sorry about my brother! He's always like that."
Keima and Hana blinked at another person standing near the door. His glasses shine back at Keima. His black spiky hair pointed towards the ceiling. He strolled towards Keima, holding his arm out.
"The name's Asama Yutuka. I've been helping my brother win many girls' hearts to him."
Keima gazed upon Yutuka's striking resemblance of Keima's. This guy… He seemed to be a smart person… Keima sat back on his couch.
"So how much did you hear while I was talking to your "so-called" brother?"
Yutuka formed a small grin.
"Just about everything. Your request is somewhat very interesting… May I ask why you don't want to see these girls?"
Keima gazed upon Yutuka's calm eyes. What should I say to him? I don't really know if I can trust this guy or not…
"Let's just say that I no interests in being with them..."
Yutuka slowly nodded his head.
"I've never seen someone like you who has no desire for such girls..."
Hana gazed upon Yutuka's calm face, crossing her lips. This guy seems to be just as cunning and intelligent as Keima... unlike that blonde buffoon of course... Keima cocked his eyebrows at him. Is... Is he trying to analyse me? And why would he do something like this to me? Yutuka closed his eyes, smiling at his guests.
"Then tell me more about your proposals... and me and my brother will see what we can do about it..."
Keima and Hana strolled through the streets, gazing upon a train station standing above them. Hana gazed upon Keima's face, crossing her lips. I'm still a bit puzzled as to why Keima would want some help from strangers the two of us have never met before... Does he have that much trust in them? Keima scribbled his notepad with his pen, humming to himself. Looks like I have convinced this guy to help me. At least his stupid brother won't have to participate in it... Hana placed her hands on her back, watching his glasses glint form the setting sun.
"May I ask you as to why you wanted help?"
Keima's body stood still, causing her to stop moving. He turned his head around, blinking at her.
"What do you mean?"
Hana sighed.
"Well... it's just that you could easily teach many candidates at a time... can you?"
Keima continued gazing upon her face. He turned his head, strolling towards the stairways.
"Well actually..."
Hana quickly followed after her. Keima lifted his notepad up, gazing upon letters imprinted on the front page.
"One problem for me having to do two at a time is that not only do I teach someone I know of... but I also have to teach a stranger who lives in a different city..."
Keima and Hana strolled through a crowd of passengers, entering through the gates.
"Having said that, I can't teach both at a time with that much distance away from each other..."
Hana placed her hands on her chin.
"I guess it does make sense... after all, the people who you had allied with live in the same city as the candidates."
Keima pulled the notepad back in his pocket.
"Then... is this all you are concerned about?"
Keima and Hana stood behind a crowd, waiting for a train to arrive. Hana faced away from Keima, gazing upon the billboards in front of her.
"I... I don't seem to trust them... I mean..."
Keima placed his hands on his glasses, adjusting them to make it glimmer brightly.
"It's a risk I'm willing to take... after all, I have a few options as of now..."
Ryou stood near Yutuka, gazing upon the computer screen. Yutuka's fingers fly around rapidly like a piano player, waving them around gracefully. His glasses glowed from the screen light lighting up the darkened room. Ryou scratched his head, confused about the recent events.
"I don't get it. Why are we helping a stranger make his potential lovers fall in love with different people? It doesn't make sense for boys to reject girls like that anyway!"
Yutuka's god-like eyes glimmered, gazing upon the worlds appearing rapidly.
"This stranger isn't like any others... I can feel it..."
Ryou blinked at his brother.
"What do you mean by that? He looks like an otaku, just like you!"
Yutuka turned his head around, gazing upon his brother.
"First of all, he's not just any 'otaku'... second, why would you think I'm an 'otaku' anyway?"
Ryou pouted his lips.
"Because you're obsessed with that idol of yours?"
Yutuka formed a frown on his face.
"This brings me to my third reason: I believe he's THE capturing god!"
Ryou's mind conjured an image of Keima cheering happily. He held his PFP to his head, smiling joyously.
"Nah... I think he's just a games addict... I'm not seeing him as this "so-called" god of yours..."
Yutuka turned his head away from Ryou.
"I don't need an idiot to patronise me! Besides, I could feel that vibe of his ever since he and I met each other..."
Ryou lifted up his chocolate bar, taking a bite out of it.
"But what I don't get is why you're very willing to help him. You barely know him anyway!"
Yutuka's hands stopped moving.
"While it's true of what you had said just then... and how I'm envious of how he could attract girls like that... I am his messenger... his helper... his Gabriel... And I will do everything I can to help this god of mine out."
Ryou moved away from his brother, strolling towards the door.
"Well my favourite show's coming soon, so-"
"Wait."
Ryou's body froze. He turned around, blinking at his brother.
"Perhaps you could help me with what I'm about to execute. After all, the main problem is getting the 'candidate' on our side."
Ayumi ran through the field, leaving trails of behind her. Miyako cheered loudly, holding a stopwatch on her hands. She grinned sinisterly, gazing upon the finishing line waiting for her. Just a few more seconds! Then I'll be able to beat my personal record! One step closer towards the country finals! Next thing will happen to me – the Olympics! Suddenly, an image of Keima appeared. She widened her eyes, feeling her legs running slower. Keima smiled at her, making his glasses shine. I'm proud of you making it through the country finals. I'll be watching you from there. Miyako blinked at Ayumi running slower.
As Ayumi ran past the finishing line, Miyako pushed a button on it. She lifted the stopwatch up, crossing her lips.
"You almost had it, Ayumi. What happened back there?"
Ayumi sighed. This is the third time I've been daydreaming about him… now it's also affecting my practices to… She turned around, smiling at Miyako.
"Maybe I got a bit too cocky there! Maybe I'll clear my head next time…"
Miyako placed her hands on her lips.
"You seemed to be going a bit out of focus for the past few days. Even with band practices too!"
Ayumi chuckled hesitantly, placing her hands behind her head.
"Oh… well maybe I should start focusing and such… I guess I've been slacking off a bit…"
She turned away from Miyako, strolling away from the field.
"Looks like I'm done for the day. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Wait."
Ayumi immediately stood still. She slowly turned her head around, noticing Miyako's concerned face.
"Do… do you have something for that Otamegane?"
Ayumi widened her eyes, feeling her cheeks red. She quickly closed her eyes tightly, chuckling nervously.
"Umm… what makes you think that?"
Miyako gazed upon Ayumi. She then shrugged, smiling at her.
"I don't know really. It's just that you've been seeing him a bit often."
Chihiro gazed upon the TV, holding her guitar. The clock inside the TV showed "6:30pm". She strummed strings whilst humming a tune. She closed her eyes, imagining herself sitting on a huge stage. Her voice echoed from the speakers, soothing the crowd's ears. They cheered loudly for her, waving their glow sticks around. She formed a huge smile, feeling her body glowing brightly. Suddenly, her eyes widened, finding Keima within the crowd. He smiled at her, making her heart thump. I knew you could shine like the others! You just have to believe in yourself and trust your heart!
She opened her eyes, finding herself returning to her room. She sighed, closing her eyes. Why do I have to keep thinking about that? She slowly tilted her body, lying on her bed. Oh who am I kidding, I'm still gonna have these twisted feelings for a long time… maybe… Her body formed goose bumps, making her heart thump quicker. Maybe I'm in love… An image of Keima getting bashed up by Chihiro appeared inside her mind. Perhaps I've been a bit harsh on him afterwards… An image of her friends teasing her appeared inside her mind. It will be very weird if my friends find out about it…
She gritted her teeth, hitting her head hard. Why am I saying all of this? This is not what I truly think about that creep! Stop it Chihiro! Stop thinking about those things! She lifted herself from her bed, placing the guitar on her bed. She strolled towards her desk, lifting the sheets of paper up. Now that I think about it… I'm not sure if I wanted to use these lyrics… something's missing there…
Kusunoki entered the bathroom, unravelling her towel around her. She slowly slid the door open, entering the shower. She carefully placed herself on the stood, turning the taps on. A river of water spouted from the showerhead, quenching and soothing her body. She closed her eyes, feeling the harmonic warmth imbuing around her. Suddenly, a ringing noise echoes outside the bathroom. She opened her eyes, turning her head around. She turned off the taps and strolled out of the shower room. She wrapped her towel around her body whilst strolling through the corridors. The phone appeared in front of her, beckoning her to answer it.
She stood near it, picking it up and holding it on her ears.
"Hello?"
A cheery laughter called out of the phone.
"Kusunoki! It's been a long time!"
Kusunoki sighed. This is the sixth time she called me… though it's kinda nice to hear from her…
"I heard you haven't gotten yourself a boyfriend yet! You know, you can't stay single forever!"
Kusunoki's eyes twitched.
"I am in no need of a man at the moment, Ane-ue…"
"Oh Kusunoki! This is exactly the reason why you need one! You've been moody ever since I've left the dojo the first time!"
Kusunoki shook her head. Even though I cared for her a lot…
"I'm fine without one… Don't worry about me with those kinds of things…"
"You always say that! In fact, you also need to get married!"
Kusunoki widened her eyes, feeling her cheeks red. U-WAAAAHH?
"H… how could you say something as ridiculous as this? I'm certainly too young for this!"
"If you're worried about finding someone to marry to, I know someone who you could be with – someone who you can rely on! Remember that guy who came to the dojo when I came back to visit you?"
Kusunoki's heart started thumping. Her mind conjured an image of Kumuro. No… you don't mean…
"Muhara Kumuro. Does that ring a bell to you?"
"A… Ane-ue…"
"Looks like you're not bothered by him. Then it's settled! 10… 9… 8…"
Hana hopped out of the bath tub, leaving the water sinking through the hole. She held her hands out towards the towel rack. She gently pulled it out, wrapping it around her body. I was quite surprised that Keima had many admirers when I first arrived at his school… An image of Keima appeared inside her mind. He swung his axe around, trying to push the girls away from him. What's even more surprising is that he has some interest in trying to make people leave him alone… Keima strolled towards Hana, wrapping his arms around her. Could… could he actually be saving himself for me?
Hana closed his eyes, making her imagination disappear.
"I highly doubt that. At the moment, he might have no interest in me…"
She placed the towel back on the rack, lifting her clothes from the rack. Maybe… maybe I just need to make him fall for me… I just have to find his weakness first…
"Young lady. You have a call from one of your friends…"
Hana opened the door, leaving the bathroom.
"I'm coming."
She entered the living room, finding her butler holding the phone out. She carefully pulled it away from him. She held it to her ears, hearing her friend complaining.
"What on earth are you doing to yourself? Why did you change schools all of a sudden?"
Hana sighed. I guess my decisions come with consequences…
"I just want to see how Kumuro's doing?"
"You could've waited until the holidays to invite him. Do you care about him so much?"
Hana formed a heart-warming grin.
"Oh you're being a bit over-dramatic!"
"What about your friends? Wouldn't they be pissed off or even sad that you've left then behind so suddenly?"
"I will come back and visit them at times… Or perhaps it won't be permanent for my stay at Majima."
"Wait… what dya mean it'll be temporary? What are you even planning to do?"
"I already told you, didn't I? I'll talk to you later…"
"Hey! Wait a minute! I'm not finished with-"
Hana placed the phone back into place. The butler sighed, forming a worried face.
"Young lady. Everyone's quite worried about you. Don't you think you should at least consider their feelings?"
Nanaka rested her body on her bed, having her eyes closed. She tossed and turned, excreting sweat from her forehead. She watched her legs trapped inside a quicksilver, dragging her body towards the abyss. She waved her arms around, screaming for help. Amika strolled towards her, smiling sinisterly. Nanaka gasped, watching Kumuro strolling towards Amika. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulders. Amika formed a sinister face, laughing wickedly like an evil scientist. Nanaka's body sunk deeper inside the quicksand as she screamed in fear.
Nanaka lifted herself up, panting breathlessly. She groaned, feeling her head aching. She placed her hands on her sweaty forehead, feeling them warm. Man... How many nightmares do I have to have every night? Why Do I have to think about him all the time? She wiped the sweat off her head, resting it on her pillow. Maybe I should face the facts that Kumuro will never be mine... She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. Man, why do I have to think about that arsehole anyway? He stole my heart before betraying me like that! And to that unattractive girl as well! An image of Amika standing behind Kumuro appeared inside her mind.
Nanaka gritted her teeth harder, clenching her fists tightly. I can't believe she's hogging this guy all to herself! If only I could... Nanaka formed a sinister grin, chuckling evilly.
"Yes... I can see it now... I just have to break the wall down to get Kumuro... isn't that right?"
Kanon tossed and turned around her bed, groaning in pain. She glared at Keima cowering before her. His eyes were watery, finding himself whimpering in fear. Words flow from his mouth, telling her not to hurt him. She clenched her fists, gritting her teeth. She kicked him in the stomach, causing him to collapse on the ground. She lowered her body, bashing his body with her fists. Blood spurt out of his body, causing him to groan. As his life became empty, he closed his eyes gently. Kanon lifted herself from the ground, folding her arms. A shadowy figure appeared beside her, smiling sinisterly.
"Fool! You have followed the seeds of doubt, and now you have lost him!"
Kanon widened her eyes. She turned around, feeling her body shake in fear.
"Why… why did you do this to me?"
Its eyes glowed bright red.
"If you truly loved him, you wouldn't listen to your doubts…"
An angel emerged out of Keima's body, hovering above ground. Kanon turned her head, gazing upon the angel's face.
"I feel truly hurt by this! How could you do this to your beloved Keima?"
Tears flowed from her eyes, forcing her to kneel down. She held her arms out to the angel.
"Please! Don't leave me!"
The angel ascended towards the sky.
"I'm sorry, but I can't be with someone who will always have little trust in their loved ones!"
Kanon widened her eyes, gazing upon the sun shining on her. The birds rested their feet on the veranda rails, chirping happily. She slowly lifted her body up, gazing upon the clock. Her eyes shed tears, feeling her heart aching. She covered her face, mourning over her losses.
"Why… Why did I do this to myself?"
Tenri slowly opened her eyes, feeling the sun rays shining on them. She slowly lifted herself from the bed, rubbing her eyes. She lifted her arms upwards, yawning loudly. I can't believe I stayed up late last night. She turned her head, gazing upon the clock. At least it didn't make me late… my head isn't feeling well though… Memories of her dreams flashed inside her mind. She imagined herself floating above the clouds, gazing upon her doppelganger. She smiled back at her, revealing her god-like eyes.
"Now's the time to confess your love to him. There are now no other girls getting in your way!"
Tenri widened her eyes, feeling her cheeks red.
"But Ke-Ke-Keima-kun's my friend..."
The doppelganger placed her arms on Tenri's shoulders.
"You have a wonderful opportunity at this stage. Don't leave it until it's too late!"
She snapped out of her daydream, returning to her room. She pulled her body out of her bed, strolling towards the window. I wonder what Keima-kun's up to now… She widened her eyes, finding Hana strolling towards Keima's house. Who… who's this girl? I've never seen her before. She knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer. The door swung open, allowing her inside. Could she be one of Keima's friends? Tenri placed her hands near her chin, humming to herself. She strolled towards her wardrobe, opening the doors guarding her clothes. Maybe I could visit his house again… After all, it's been a few days since I last saw him…
After changing her clothes, she left her room, strolling through the corridors.
"Mum, I'm going to visit Keima-kun! I'll be back soon!"
"Don't stay there too long! Breakfast is coming soon!"
She departed out of her house, strolling through the footpath. She placed her hands behind her backs, conjuring images of Keima inside her mind. I wonder what I should ask him… "Hey, who's that friend of yours?", "Is she one of your friends?", "I just noticed this girl of hers and, I was wondering who she is…" She stood near the door, pushing the doorbell. The door swung open, revealing Mari. She closed her eyes, smiling at Tenri.
"Tenri-chan! It's good to see you again."
Mari swung the door wide open, taking a step towards the wall.
"Come in! He also has a friend inside!"
Tenri smiled at Mari, strolling past her. So… is this really his friend? I wonder why I've never seen her before… Inside the living room, Hana and Keima sat on the couch, facing away from Tenri. Tenri placed her hands behind her backs, hesitating to grab their attention.
"Umm… Keima-kun?"
Hana and Keima turned their heads around, gazing upon her face. Hana widened her eyes at the sight of Tenri's face. Hey… who the hell's this girl? How dare she show up all of a sudden? Keima blinked at Tenri.
"Tenri… what are you doing here all of a sudden?"
Tenri's cheeks slightly reddened, gazing upon Keima's god-like face.
"I… I noticed this… friend, of yours…"
Keima turned his head, gazing upon Hana. Keima turned away from her, holding his hands out.
"This girl's a friend of Kumuro. Kumina Hana."
Tenri shifted her eyes to Hana, smiling at her. She bowed down, closing her eyes.
"My name's Ayukawa Tenri. I'm his childhood friend."
Hana gazed upon her hair, humming to herself. Childhood friend I see… even though she doesn't seem to be the competitive type, there's a high chance that she's also after my Keima-kun. Maybe she stands no chance against me… or perhaps she'll try something funny to prevent me from getting my Keima-kun… She closed her eyes, holding her hands out.
"It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Keima, Hana and Tenri strolled through the streets, walking side by side. Tenri gazed upon a street post, walking away from them. She turned around, waving at Keima and Hana.
"I'll see you guys after school."
Keima and Hana waved back, making her turn away from them. Hana closed her eyes, grinning sinisterly. Even if she did have feelings for him, there's no way that she'll be able to win his heart… once I win him over… Keima turned his head, blinking at her.
"What are you grinning about?"
Hana widened her eyes, quickly turning her head around. She chuckled nervously, scratching her head.
"Umm… just a show from last night…"
Hana lowered her arms, forming a serious face.
"What's the first thing you're going to do with this Ichigou guy?"
Keima held his notepad out, flipping through a few pages.
"I will simply talk to him in person. It'll be simple enough as it is. Once Kumuro find me, I'll get him to find the guy."
Keima and Hana strolled through the school gates, heading towards crowds of students.
"And you're just gonna say 'hey there, you want to win Yui's heart?' am I right?"
Keima closed the notepad carefully, pulling it back inside his pocket.
"Well it could be one of those starting conversations. I should be able to gain his trust, seeing as I'm friends with Kumuro."
Amika strolled towards Keima and Hana, calling out to them.
"Hey Hana! I didn't get a chance to find you yesterday!"
Keima and Hana turned her head, finding Amika standing nearby. Hana closed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips.
"Is there anything you want from me? In fact, have you won Kumuro's heart yet?"
Amika widened her eyes, feeling her cheeks red.
"H-hey! Not in front of the boys!"
Kumuro strolled towards his friends, holding his hands out.
"Yay! The whole gang's here!"
Keima grabbed his arms, pulling him away from the girls.
"I need you to do me a favour. Come with me!"
Kumuro waved his arms around, feeling his body being dragged through the ground.
"Hey! At least bond together first!"
Amika sighed, watching the boys move away from her. Hana opened her eyes, grinning at her.
"Now that they're gone, could you at least tell me why you haven't done so yet? Perhaps you should first tell me why you ignored my advice."
Amika tilted her head downwards.
"I… I just didn't…"
"You know… saying that isn't satisfying me right now. There should be more to that…"
Amika sighed. She slowly lifted her head up, gazing upon Hana.
"I… I haven't told anyone about this but…"
An image of Amika and another boy appeared inside her mind
"At my previous school, I was friends with another boy. We were just as close as me and my Kumuro-sama…"
Amika held her gifts out to the boy, smiling at him.
"When I thought it was about time, I confessed my love to him, hoping that I would win his heart…"
The boy turned away from Amika, exiting the classroom.
"But he simply rejected, telling me that he already liked someone else…"
The boy held his hands out to another girl, smiling at her. Amika lowered her head, shedding a tear.
"Then about a few weeks later, he started going out with another girl… I've always wondered where I've went wrong… perhaps I have confessed too soon or maybe… maybe I should never confess at all."
The memories disappeared inside Amika's mind, finding herself standing next to Hana.
"This is why I haven't confessed yet."
Hana sighed, moving her hands away from her hips.
"I hate heartbreaking stories… but all I could say is that your previous love target may not right for you… but I should warn you that you should confess your love to Kumuro as soon as possible."
Amika poured tears from her eyes, forcing her to cover her face.
"I… I can't…"
Hana folded her arms, watching Amika's sorrows. If she keeps this up, then it'll definitely be too late for her… Amika wiped the tears off her face.
"At least I should be glad that I get to choose who he goes out with though…"
Hana blinked at Amika momentarily. She chuckled sinisterly, placing her hands on her lips.
"What a cunning fox you are! Though this thing you had won't last much longer…"
Hana strolled away from Amika, leaving her behind.
"You should confess right now… before it's too late."
Keima and Kumuro strolled through the building, moving past chattering students. Kumuro turned his head, blinking at Keima.
"So… you want to talk to Ichigou because…?"
Keima gazed upon his PFP, watching two girls shouting at a guy.
"I have a hunch that he has feelings for Yui. And so I will help him win his heart."
Keima gazed upon Heihachi standing near the twins. He raised his fists up, shouting in joy.
"YEAH! Now do the duet together!"
The twins blinked at Heihachi.
"Duet?"
"Isn't that what we're doing right now?"
Heihachi sighed.
"Duet… I mean both of yous do your solos together…"
Kumuro held his hands out, waving at him.
"Heihachi! There you are!"
Heihachi turned his head around, gazing upon Kumuro. He closed his eyes, smiling at him.
"You're just in time!"
Heihachi strolled towards him, holding his hands out.
"These boys are gonna perform a duet! Watch them do their magic!"
Kumuro broke sweat from his head, chuckling nervously.
"Oh... that's really nice of you to share some of the stuff for the festival and all but... I kinda need to see Ichigou..."
Heihachi blinked at Kumuro momentarily. He closed his eyes, scratching his head.
"Well I don't know what happen to him... but he's not at school today... If you think about it, he's been wagging school lately... and very often it is..."
Keima hummed to himself. Is this because of his love for Yui? It may be too soon to say but... he's become more and more perfect for my plans... Kumuro crossed his lips, feeling concerned. Heihachi's right! I did kinda sense something odd with him...
"Well I was thinking about asking him something... perhaps we can go visit his house after school..."
Heihachi nodded his head.
"That's a great idea! Luckily for me, my afterschool shift's not on today!"
"Ah! You're still working at that store I see!"
"Yeah! I also get discounts from there!"
Keima turned away from the boys, placing his hands on his chins. It seems that I've been delayed a bit... I wonder what I should do then... Keima strolled away from the boys, holding his hands out.
"I'll meet you guys after school..."
Kumuro turned away from Heihachi, watching Keima leave him behind. Heihachi gazed upon Kumuro's face.
"Is your friend always like that?"
Keima sat on the seat, gazing upon his PFP. Even though these delays don't help me a lot... at least these downtimes are worth it! His eyes glowed from the screen light, opening his mouth wide. Now... time to capture this heroine!
"Hello there..."
Keima widened his eyes, hearing a familiar voice. Oh... shit... Don't tell me... He slowly turned his head, gazing upon Tsukiyo. Her cheeks reddened, hugging Luna tightly.
"I... I heard that you're no longer with that singer girl..."
Keima's eyes twitched, feeling his hands shaking. Crap! I can't afford to take another event with her! If I wanted her to be diverted, I must avoid contact with the missiles at all cost! Keima stand up from the bench, walking away from Tsukiyo.
"That reminds me... I have something to do right now..."
Suddenly, Keima's body stood still, feeling his hands touched by hers. Keima widened his eyes, feeling his cheeks red. Oh crap! She's trying to get closer! C'mon Keima! Move that shitty body of yours! His body formed goose bumps, feeling his heart thumping. Why can't I move? This feels like the times when I'm with Yui... Tsukiyo eyes watered, gazing upon Keima facing away from her.
"A...Aren't you going to embrace greater beauty with me?"
Keima whimpered inside his mind, huddling his small body into a ball. Crap! I'm getting the same treatment as that encounter from Yui! Damn that crystal effect! I'm feeling dragged deeper into the abyss! What should I do? Tsukiyo hugged his body tightly, resting her head on his back.
"I don't know what's going on... but you've been avoiding this for long enough now..."
Tsukiyo sighed, gazing upon Keima's nervous head.
"I want this greater beauty... I want to embrace it... you are the one that I want to embrace with!"
Keima imagined himself frozen stiff like a statue. A huge gorgon appeared, holding its razor-sharp claws out ready to slice through. At this rate, I won't be able to shake her off much longer! Think Keima, think! I need to get out of this situation quickly! Keima's eyes sparkled, forming a god-like face.
"It was true on how I told you about finding greater beauty..."
Tsukiyo blinked at Keima. He moved away from her, turning his body around.
"But I cannot embrace that greater beauty with you... I will reveal my ugly side once you get closer to me..."
He turned away from her, strolling through the school grounds.
"There will be someone else who you will be better off. Just wait a little longer."
Tsukiyo charged towards him, grabbing his hand. She turned his body around, pulling his head to her. He widened his eyes, being caught by surprise. WHAT THE? WHAT'S GOING ON NOW? Her eyes sparkled, feeling her skin glow from the bright shining sun.
"Don't say you're ugly! You're beautiful!"
Keima's hand shook, feeling stupefied. This is bad! I somehow made it harder for me to escape! Oh god! Is this the end for me?
"Keima-sama!"
Keima and Tsukiyo moved their heads, noticing Yui standing nearby. Yui placed her hands on her hips, frowning at Keima.
"I can't believe you're seeing another girl after you broke up with Kanon-chan! I really need to save you from yourself, huh?"
Tsukiyo released Keima's hands, folding her arms.
"Is this one of your male friends?"
Yui placed her right hand near her heart.
"I am a girl thank you! And Keima-sama and I are together!"
Tsukiyo blinked at Yui momentarily.
"A male girl huh? Looks like I found myself gazing upon something extremely grotesque. Pity this world has to have those all the time!"
Yui strolled towards Tsukiyo, glaring at her.
"I don't know what you're on about, but Keima-sama's mine for the taking!"
Tsukiyo grinned sinisterly.
"Oh really... How about we ask him who he likes more..."
Tsukiyo turned around, facing away from Yui. Tsukiyo and Yui blinked at the school grounds, wondering where Keima is.
Amika placed her hands behind her back, crossing her lips. An image of Hana appeared inside her mind, playing over the same words. I advise you to confess to him now... before it's too late! Amika sighed, feeling her heart thumping. I... I don't think I can... The image reformed into a doppelganger of Kumuro. He shouted at Amika, making her tremble in fear. How could you say something as ridiculous as this! We're supposed to be only friends! This will complicate things more! The image disappeared, returning her to the school corridors. I can't face him like this yet... I... I just can't!
Suddenly, Kusunoki strolled past her, bumping her arm. Amika gritted ehr teeth, feeling her arm throbbing slightly.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
Kusunoki quickly turned around, gazing upon Amika. Amika blinked at the flowers resting on Kusunoki's arms. Flowers? I wonder why she's carrying those... Kusunoki bowed down carefully, making Amika blink at her.
"Sorry about that."
Kusunoki turned away from Amika, quickly strolling through the corridors. Amika followed her from behind, satisfying her curiosity. She hid behind a corner, watching Kusunoki stand near Heihachi and Kumuro. She widened her eyes, dropping her jaws. WWWAAAHHH? SHE'S CONFESSING TO MY KUMURO-SAMA? Heihachi widened his eyes, gazing upon Kusunoki's face. His cheeks reddened, feeling his heart thumping. Holy shit! This girl's definitely my type! I wonder who's getting the flowers though... Hope it's me! Kusunoki closed her eyes, feeling her cheeks red.
I don't know why I'm doing this for Ane-ue, or why I can't defy the countdown... but this feels a bit embarrassing... An image of Kusunoki holding the phone appeared inside her mind. Kusunoki sighed, closing her eyes.
"Why do I have to marry him? What about you? You seemed to have some interests in that man?"
Kusunoki opened her eyes, hearing the silence entering her ears. Hinoki chuckled loudly, hurting Kusunoki's ears.
"If I actually did, that would make me a cougar!"
The memories disappeared, returning Kusunoki to the corridors. Ane-ue... Kumuro blinked at her, gazing upon her face.
"I... I want to go out with you."
Heihachi widened his eyes. Damn that Kumuro! He's one lucky bastard! Amika's teeth chattered, having her mind filled with horror. S-s-she even spoke to him outright... D-does she even have anything to consider before doing that? An image of Hana appeared inside her mind. Why can't you be more like that girl confessing to him over there? It's not that hard, is it? Amika frowned at the image. Hey! I already told you why! He turned his head, watching Kumuro widen his eyes.
"Ku...kusunoki!"
Heihachi widened his eyes, dropping his jaws. He knows her too? Kusunoki sighed, closing her eyes.
"Are you going to accept or what?"
An image of Amika appeared inside his mind, folding her arms. What should I say? Amika-chan's not around here yet! Kumuro scratched his head, chuckling nervously.
"Umm... I have to think about that first..."
Kusunoki opened her eyes, frowning at him.
"What are you on about? I thought you still wanted me!"
Kumuro crossed his lips, breaking sweat on his face.
"Uh... I guess I do but..."
His eyes shifted to Amika, noticing her popping her head out of the wall. He strolled past Kusunoki, standing near Amika.
"Hey there! Can I talk to you for a second?"
Amika widened her eyes. How did he find me? Kusunoki blinked at Kumuro and Amika. This girl... I've never seen her before... Kumuro pushed her out of sight, holding her shoulders firmly. Kumuro scratched his head, closing his eyes and chuckling nervously.
"Umm... there's this girl who umm..."
Amika crossed her lips, gazing upon him. Should I say no or what? Amika formed a serious face.
"I don't think she's good for you..."
Kumuro opened his eyes, blinking at her. That was quick. Kumuro strolled away from Amika, holding his hands out.
"Thanks."
Kusunoki and Heihachi blinked at Kumuro. Kumuro sighed, gazing upon Kusunoki.
"I'm sorry there but... I don't think we should be together..."
Heihachi and Kusunoki dropped their jaws, feeling surprised.
Ryou strolled through the streets, holding the note out. His eyes were wide open, scanning every single word to be saved inside his mind. The voice of his brother echoed inside his mind. Since you don't like school and you have a date coming up soon, I suppose today's the day you'll be able to visit the candidate. Remember, don't screw this one up! Ryou sighed, closing his eyes. I could at least doze off in class today... why do I always have to do the hard work? He pictured his brother sitting on his chair typing stuff on the keyboard. I mean... he just sits there like he's the king of the house!
Ryou placed his hands on his tummy, rubbing them around. I mean look at my body! It's like I'm the servant of the house! At least I'm dating five girls at once though... Ryou formed a grin on his face. I guess he's like every sad nerd who has no life and no girlfriends! He opened his eyes, noticing a shiny house standing out. There we go! 31 Minakata Street! That's the place for the candidate! He stood near the door, pushing the button. Now all I need to do is to work my charms! I'm sure it's easy enough as it is! The door swung open, revealing Yuki. She gazed upon Ryou's shining face, smiling at him.
"You seem to be another visitor! What brings you here?"
Ryou placed his hand on his hair, pushing it upwards.
"Do you have a son called-"
Ryou hesitated, feeling his mind blank.
"Umm... umm..."
He lifted the piece of paper up, gazing upon it.
"Pokori Kyonshi..."
Yuki blinked at Ryou.
"Kyonshi? Why I don't have a son!"
Ryou blinked at Yuki. He lifted a piece of paper up, gazing upon the address.
"You don't live in 31 Minakata Street, don't you?"
Yuki held her hands near her mouth, chuckling cheerfully.
"This is actually Minataka street, not Minakata!"
Ryou scratched his head, chuckling nervously.
"Can you tell me where that one is then?"
Yuki hummed to herself, gazing upon the sky.
"If my memory serves me well... I think it should be in Narusawa..."
Ryou widened his eyes.
"Oh... I didn't know that!"
Ryou turned away from Yuki, strolling through the streets. He held his hands out, waving to her.
"Thanks for your help!"
Yuki blinked at Ryou.
"What a strange young man... Though he is quite nice..."
Keima pushed his body inside an empty locker, closing the door behind him. If I want to shake off those targets for good, I need to be in a place where no one will ever dare to find me! He lifted his PFP up, tapping buttons rapidly. Luckily for me, this is the perfect place where no one can find me! And the best part is that no one has been using this locker! I wonder why though... Keima sniffed, absorbing a disgusting stench below him. He coughed and choked, feeling his neck being tightened by the foul scent. He stopped coughing, reforming his god-like face. Not to worry... this mere flaw won't bring me down easily!
Chihiro and Ayumi entered the change room, chatting amongst each other.
"Did you watch that show last night?"
"It was amazing! I never knew something like that would happen!"
Ayumi blinked at the screen light projecting out of a locker, scratching her head. Chihiro turned her head around, following Ayumi's actions.
"Hey. What's going on in that locker?"
Chihiro and Ayumi took a few steps forward, taking a closer look. Chihiro sniffed, causing her to stick her tongue out.
"Eww! What the hell's in that?"
She pulled the locker door out, revealing Keima inside. She widened her eyes, feeling her arms shaking. O-O-O-OTAMEGANE? Ayumi leaned her head to the side, gazing upon Keima. She widened her eyes, dropping her jaws. EEEEHHH? Keima lowered his PFP, blinking at the girls. Chihiro gritted her teeth, pulling Keima out of the locker. She slammed his body against the wall, making him groan in pain. He tried standing up, watching Chihiro and Ayumi fold their arms and frown at him,
"What are you doing here, otamegane?"
"Are you trying to stalk on innocent girls?"
Keima gritted his teeth, glaring at them.
"I'M SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE ASKING! WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE?"
Chihiro and Ayumi blinked at Keima. A few boys emerged from the showers, having their towels wrapped around their legs. They blinked at Chihiro and Ayumi, grabbing their attention. The girls blinked back, feeling confused. They widened their eyes, dropping their jaws.
"H... how did we end up here?"
"Let's get out of here!"
Chihiro and Ayumi ran away from the boys, leaving trails of dust behind. Keima sighed, lifting his PFP up.
"Well at least it can't get any worse..."
"Hey, do you smell something?"
"I think that otamegane reeks of dog shit!"
"Did he... go into that... forbidden place?"
Kusunoki stood near the edge of the top floor, gazing upon the sky. Her arms rested on the rails. Her hands were holding her head. I find that almost weird and unbelievable that he didn't say yes... I thought he wanted me in the first place... She closed her eyes, conjuring an image of Kumuro inside his mind. I am not exactly sure if he really wanted me or not... unless... An image of Amika appeared in her mind, standing in fornt of Kumuro. She held her arms out, protecting him from danger. I've seen that face a couple of times... A memory popped inside her head, watching Kumuro standing near Amika.
Could that girl be his girlfriend? Kusunoki formed a smile on her face. The truth is... I'm glad something like that would happen. Now I don't have to worry about going out with that guy anyway. Suddenly, the phone rang inside her pocket, forcing her to pull it out. She blinked at the screen showing Hinoki's name. Ane-ue? You're calling me around that time? She pushed the green button, placing her phone near her ear.
"Ane-ue, what is it you want this time?"
"Did you confess to Kumuro yet?"
Kusunoki sighed. What am I talking about? Ane-ue will still pester me until I get one...
"Yes... I did..."
"So... the two of you are together now, I see?"
Kusunoki shook her head.
"Actually, he declined."
Hinoki paused momentarily.
"Weird, huh. I really thought he would say yes instantaneously... Was there a girl blocking the way between the two of you?"
Kusunoki closed her eyes. Perhaps it's best if I don't mention this girl to-
"C'mon... Don't tell me you're just gonna let that girl hog Kumuro for herself now, are you?"
Kusunoki widened her eyes.
"Eh? How did you know?"
Hinoki chuckled cheerfully.
"I didn't. You just told me the truth yourself!"
Kusunoki's eyes twitched, gritting her teeth. I wish Ane-ue wouldn't do this all the time...
"My advice to you is this: win him over that girl. You got nothing to lose!"
"But Ane-ue-"
"Then it's settled! You're going to come up with a plan to steal his heart from her! 10... 9... 8..."
Shiori sat at her desk, placing her hands on her book. She gazed upon the clock in front of her, watching the hand slowly moving around. 2:53. I... I wonder what's taking Muhara-kun so long... A few students strolled past the clock, chattering amongst each other. She sighed, resting her head on her desk. He... he promised me... She closed her eyes, entering another world. She strolled through a desolate wasteland filled with dead trees, following the greyish rocky path. She grasped her shiny golden book tightly, pushing it against her chest. The harsh winds produced eerie ghostly noises, making her gasp in fear.
Suddenly, a huge demon appeared in front of her, laughing evilly ay her. It held its hands out, forcing her to stop moving.
"You... shall not... PASS!"
Shiori cowered before the demon, holding the book out. The demon spewed fire out of its mouth, disintegrating the book into ash. Shiori widened her eyes, feeling tears dripping from her eyes. The demon laughed out loud, holding its arms out.
"Who's going to save you now?"
"Shiori! Are you awake?"
Shiori opened her eyes, lifting her head up. She gazed upon her chairman folding her arms.
"How's your novel coming up?"
Shiori sighed. I... I haven't gotten halfway with it...
"It... It's still going in progress..."
The chairman turned away from her, strolling through the desks.
"Remember the deadline. It won't wait for you."
Heihachi and Kumuro stood near the school grounds. They folded their arms, tapping their feet impatiently. He turned his head, facing Kumuro.
"Why didn't you say yes to that hot chick? It was almost like she's into you!"
Kumuro sighed, closing his eyes.
"I promised Amika-chan that I will always consult with her whenever a girl asked me out or if there's someone else I like."
Heihachi giggled.
"You know. I would've said yes if something like that comes up."
Keima strolled towards Heihachi and Kumuro, holding his PFP. He lowered his PFP, gazing upon their faces.
"We shall now visit Ichigou."
Keima blinked at Kumuro and Heihachi sniffing at him. Heihachi coughed from the stench choking him.
"Where did you go? You reek of dog shit!"
"You could've taken a shower before, Keima buddy!"
Keima sighed. Maybe hiding in that locker was a bad idea after all...
"Never mind that. We need to visit Ichigou."
Author's Note: if you have read all of my chapters so far, there's something you need to know: I've been lately been slacking off in terms of making new chapters. There's only one other chapter done and the next chapter being almost completed. Having said that, if I haven't slacked off, I would've made about 11 or more chapters in reserve. Sadly for me, I'm somehow finding less and less will to try and make more chapters ready for release so if I happen to release a chapter with more than a week's gap, that's because I'm kinda fusing out... (lol)
Speaking of that, while I've been slacking off in this series, I've gotten a few chapters done in my novel (the one that was initially supposed to be mainly focused on for this whole year). However, like this series, I've also fused out in the novel (once again) and so now I've find it hard to try and get both of these projects finished... Now I either feel like wasting my time playing games almost 24/7 or maybe try and see if I can make an abridged series of beelzebub (though I'm having issues with trying to find good video editing software for that, so maybe it'll get scrapped like no tomorrow)
Sorry to get you reading all of this crap in there, I should be going through the chapter overview, should I? Did you guess that Yutuka would be Ryou's borther? If so, you really are a genius! It's very interesting how he's somewhat similar to Keima, yet he's different (of course). And there are hints that many many more characters will be involved in both the main plot for poor Keima and the subplot for Kumuro (oh my god! A subplot?)
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter andthis series. I will try my best to get more and more chapters done for reserves. It's not the first time I find it harder to climb through this hill. It's somehow getting steeper for me for this series!