Hey guys,

Even I can't believe how quickly this chapter came out of me, but I honestly don't want to do anything like question it. Instead I'm going to smile and feel proud that I wrote this because even before I started on it, I knew for a fact that it was going to be LOADED. And from this new form of Tsumi to Kenja beginning to tell a story he obviously doesn't like remembering or rather with a beginning he'd rather forget, it's got a lot in it.

Anyways, right after I wrote last nights chapter I actually did something pretty random with my sister. We watched all ten episodes of 'Salad Fingers' together, nine of which I had already seen while she had never even heard of them. Little to say, I was left nearly wetting myself with laughter as she watched on in horror and a broken heart. Honestly, have you ever put those episodes into pure analysis? When you do, wow just wow, they are really tragic. But that tenth one, holy shit I haven't seen something like that in a long time and seeing the mortified look on my sister's face made it soooooo worth it!

But enough about me freaking my little sister out, you have a chapter to read, don't you? Hopefully I will see you all soon!

xKiha

His body hurt greatly, his joints rather stiff thanks everything that had happened to him, moving his fingers which were in gloves Kimiko hadn't noticed before. What she should have taken the time to see were the small daggers that connected to the tip of every finger thanks to said gloves. And even though he was almost pitifully running towards the demon woman, he was rather fast.

Amera unsheathed her sword on instinct, not sure why he was doing this as she braced herself for whatever was going to come next. "T-Tsumi, there is no reason to fight anymore, we found out what we wanted to. This your sixth spell."

He didn't even stop to listen to her words, eyes caught in a cold glare as he unsheathed his own sword for a swift slash to which Amera blocked with her own weapon only to have the poison stranger react with amazing speed and manage a slash into her left hip.

"W-What is he doing!?" Kyo asked in horror, clutching his book tightly as he looked to Kimiko.

The brunette was absolutely frozen, studying what had once been her partner with eyes wide and jaw agape. No, no this wasn't the Tsumi she knew. Her fingers rested on the sixth spell, said phalanges burning and bubbling into a nasty pink just by sitting there.

"K-Kimiko!?" Kyo seeing her burning fingers and freaking out just at the sight alone.

He reacted how most people would, shoving the book out of her hands so it collided with the ground and pulling her into his arms. She felt ridged, shaking the entire time as he just held her. "K-Kimiko, it's okay…you're okay."

"T-That isn't him…" Kimiko whispered. "H-He isn't that."

"T-Then what is it?" Kyo whispered back as he continued to hold her, one hand rubbing her back gently.

"I-I don't know and I'm not sure I want to…"

Kyo drew in a breath, knowing he was holding her in a way that only he was facing the fight. He was watching Amera closely and he knew he had to take action in some way know that this other demon was threatening to really hurt her.

"I-I…we'll figure this out." Kyo said gently as he let her go, seeing Kimiko's frightened and wide eyes and bringing himself to smile. "Just let Amera and I wear him down." Seeing her nod as she went to grab her book, looking back at Tsumi in just awe that the spell didn't stop even when she shut the book and didn't feed it any energy. It just kept going…

"Gadyuu Sorusen!"

Amera drew in a breath of gratitude when she heard Kyo's voice call out one of her spells and feel his energy fill her spirits and sword. She focused on the stranger, delivering a powerful slash into his chest the moment the sword became engulfed in flames, sending him back in pain and surprise.

Amera clenched her sword tightly, holding it out with the tip pointed towards her foe in a defensive stance. "K-Kyo, what is the plan now?"

"We're going to wear him down, knock him out if things get desperate." The light green eyes of Kyo holding quite a bit of focus as he held his book tightly. He wasn't sure how desperate things could get and he was already beginning to see a flicker of superiority in the moves of the sixth spell beast. The fact that he could match blows with Amera, who had spent all of her life in Demon World training with her sword, sent fear down his spine and he was positive his partner felt it too.

'Please let this work out right. Let both of us get out of here with our partners back to normal and in this game…'

"Gadyuu Sorusen!"

Amera sprang into action again, eyes narrowed with focus on her once friend as flames covered her sword. One chance, one slash and one hit, that was what she wanted to get from this.

She aimed for his chest which seemed to be left baron and open for attack. A smirk spreading across the demon's face when she was in mid motion, too late to turn back now. She could practically count every sharp tooth she saw as his mouth curved into one of the biggest smiles she had ever seen.

The sixth spell beast jumped into the air, landing on her sword and remaining there for only a moment to shock Amera with his speed and accuracy. And from there he jumped up again, preforming a flip only to ensure he would strike his target.

His foot was shot out as he went to make his landing, sending it into Amera's jaw with immense power. The demon woman in too much shock to react as the crushing pain of his foot possibly destroyed her jaw bone. She was sent back, smashing into the ground below with a cry of agony.

The poison demon didn't pay this any mind, reacting with only a violent instinct as he used his speed and reflexes to land quickly and efficiently before rushing to the unable to get up Amera. He looked to his sword, removing it from his belt and holding it to her throat.

"THIS IS THE END."

This was the first time he had properly spoke, everybody in shock when they saw what had once been Tsumi about to murder one of his own friends. Kyo shaking his head in horror. "AMERA!"

"TSUMI STOP!"

Kimiko was through with being in shock and unable to do anything, the girl having her book under one of her arms as she ran at the two of them. She was either bold or very stupid, getting between her animalistic partner and his metaphorical victim, moving so she stood between them.

"M-Miss Kimiko." Amera grunted, every word she spoke hurt greatly to get out. "P-Please, don't."

"Tsumi, stop." Kimiko ignoring the words of the demon about to find herself with a slit throat as she reached for the sword, eyes narrowed with determination. "W-What the hell are you even doing? You're fighting Amera, Tsu, would you really kill Amera?"

When she went to grab the sword, the sixth spell beast recoiled, taking a step back from her as he studied the book under her right arm. It filled him with rage he didn't understand, showing his teeth with frustration and hate.

"Please, stop this, you're okay now. It's just the sixth spell."

The brunette took another step towards him, this new demon unable to handle this as he growled, rushing forward.

"KIMIKO!"

Before she could properly realized everything that was happening, her mutated partner was right there before her with violent and hate filled intent.

Clothes ripped, flesh tore and blood stained the ground.

.

.

.

When Kimiko finally opened her eyes, she was in the hospital.

"Y-You're finally awake."

Kimiko's hazel eyes fluttered tiredly as she tried to think with mind feeling unbelievably heavy. For a moment it didn't work and out of nowhere all of the memories struck her like a ton of bricks. "T-Tsumi! W-Where is he!?"

"Ssh, Kimiko, it's okay." She turned to find Kyo sitting in a chair at her bed side, wanting to sit up only for him to motion for her to remain laying down. "He's fine, he's fine."

"N-No!" Tears were running down her face as she tried to think, tried to remember. "He turned into something different, he just…he wasn't himself! He was fighting Amera and then he…he!" Kimiko realizing just where she was as she tried to move, feeling a stinging sensation in her left shoulder.

"He attacked you…" Kyo said gently as Kimiko gasped, turning her head slightly to see the bandages covering the hurting shoulder. "He used those dagger gloves to slice into your shoulder…Without Amera and me to stop him, he might of just taken the arm off." Kyoshiro Yakage laughing nervously as he immediately began to regret saying everything he just did.

"W-Where is he?" Kimiko whispered in shock, looking around to find it was only the two of them in the hospital room.

"Right now? He's in the hallway and Amera's trying to calm him down." Kyo said gently. "He passed out a while after we took him out and his body returned to normal. When he finally came to, he seemed to have a slight recollection of everything that happened, but when he did, he couldn't even bear to look at you. He's holding in a lot of guilt about everything that happened…"

Kyo sighed as he grabbed his book bag, removing her purple spellbook and handing it to the wounded girl. "I'm sorry about all of this…about what the sixth spell turned out to be, I really am…"

"It's not your fault. It's our book that had the spell after all." Kimiko sighed as she accepted the book, stunned to see some of her fingers bandaged up but this time remembering just where these wounds had come from. "I'm sorry that we dragged you and Amera into this."

"No, don't be sorry about that."

Kimiko was surprised to see Kyo lean in closer to the girl when he spoke. "I wouldn't have wanted anybody else to be there for you guys when it got hard. That way I could be there to protect you if everything caved in."

Before Kimiko could even reply, Kyo placed a gentle kiss on her forehead that caused her to blush furiously. "K-Kyo…"

"Be sure to get a lot of rest tonight." Kyo said gently, blushing pretty hard as well as he gathered his stuff to go. "I'll be sure to visit you tomorrow after school, okay?"

"Okay." Kimiko nodded as she watched him begin to walk out of the room. "Oh, Kyo!"

"Yes?" He turned to look back at her, still blushing somewhat hard.

"Could you walk Tsumi home? If he's as upset as you say he is…I don't think he should be walking home all by himself." She was sure he wouldn't want to spend the night with her in the hospital with how broken up about all of this he was, Kimiko bringing herself to smile. "I think it'd be better if I had somebody I trusted with all of my heart making sure he got home safely."

"Of course. Anything for you."

.

.

.

After Kyo had left the next day, Kimiko found herself getting the visit she didn't know she needed until it happened.

"Good afternoon, Miss Isahowa."

Kimiko blinked at the sound of a very familiar voice, bringing herself to sit up only to meet the soft and gentle eyes of Kenja Sedai entering the room with a single daisy in hand. He was still in his school uniform and seemed to be alone, handing the girl the daisy with an affectionate smile. "I figured this was brighten your day." He teased.

"How thoughtful~" She jokingly crooned, but couldn't help but press the flower to her nose anyhow. Somehow seeing Kenja could always calm her down and get her to smile, even if only a little bit.

Kenja seemed to be searching for a chair, soon finding it and bring it to Kimiko's bedside before sitting down. Boy this was…backwards for him, the sickly blond fiddling with his fingers before gently laughing rather nervously. "Forgive me if I seem out of my element. I'm not exactly all that used to visiting others in the hospital."

Kimiko smiled gently. "Must feel nice though."

"In a horrid way, it really does." Both laughing gently at this statement as Kimiko lay her head back down against the pillow, her smile slowly dying down as she let reality and the current situation take control once more. "So, did Kyo fill you guys in on what happened yesterday?"

"Yes. He was kind enough, or possibly panicked enough, to tell us everything that had happened yesterday over today's lunch." Kenja nodded, voice growing soft when he watched her lay down. He wanted to, or at least needed to be, as comforting as possible towards her. "But before you ask, I came on my own accord, not by the demand of somebody else."

"I figured that much." Kimiko smiled gently

"But, I would be lying if I said this didn't bring out some curiosity." Kenja sighed, stroking her cheek gently. "Kyo described it as a spell that mutated and changed him…"

"He was an animal." Kimiko whispered, feeling somewhat soothed by the stroking from Kenja's gentle fingers. He was always so delicate with everything he had in his grasp. It always calmed her down. "He suddenly turned into a monster, something none of us could recognize…"

"I see…" Kenja sighed softly, seeing tears appear in the eyes of the brunette which he began to wipe away when they appeared on her cheeks. His voice continued to grow softer and softer for her. "Well, sometimes we need to overcome an inner monster to realize the true strength in what we are…"

"What do you mean?" Kimiko whispered as she sniffled, looking up into the paternal eyes of who she identified as her best friend in this world.

"What I mean can be tied back to a story of my own…" Kenja said gently as he finished wiping away her tears. "Which I haven't told many people, if any at all. But if you'd like, I could tell you."

He watched the brunette nod slowly, the blond moving his hands away from her cheeks as he drew in a breath. There had been a reason why he hadn't told anybody about this and that of course had been his own hatred for remembering everything that had happened and everything he had once been.

"You see…it all began a little less than a year ago in a room just down the hall…"