Hey Guys,
Wow, it's really sad that I've been writing this chapter for like four days because I'm a major procrastinator, but you know, it's not the worst thing I've ever written before, it's fairly okay. But being that it's a character introduction chapter, you should know what kinds of things to expect. But yep, we have the big 50 next chapter! Can you believe it? I actually can't believe we've gotten this far! It just feels, fantastic!
But yes, my life is pretty great. I had Prom last week which was fantastic and my band banquet tonight, which went great~! So yes, Kiha is having a great end of sophomore year. Now if only I could be sure my AP exam would go perfectly, I would be set.
I hope you like this chapter and enjoy the characters, however you might want to note that they won't be a full time addition to the Alliance. But anyhow, enjoy the next chapter!
xKiha
Class was nothing too extraordinary, but Kimiko was desperate to focus on something, anything! She was completely on edge, able to feel Aislinn's eyes glance her way every once in a while, burn into the back of Kimiko's neck and cause her to cringe. She was sorry, of course she was, but she had to bring herself to hold her head high, to remember that she was stronger because of their skills. She couldn't be resented for that, no, she could only commend herself for being the strongest member of the team.
She stared at her spellbook as it rested on her desk, bringing herself to smile only out of the pride she knew she had to experience eventually. Moping forever just made no sense and she knew this.
Kimiko brought herself to swallow her pride, clenching her hands into fists and smiling gently to herself. At least for now, she had to savor the little power that she had, the calamity of having no huge enemy to worry about as she just enjoyed what she had.
She moved the pencil in her hand, turning her head to see Kenja in a row behind her, the blond noticing her hazel eyes and bringing himself to smile in return. Like Kimiko, he had a lot on his mind concerning his demon partner and their ranking on the strength tier. He wasn't too fond of his spot, but then again, who was?
Aislinn's eyes burned into Kimiko's from the back row, causing the brunette to cringe and turn back around at once.
This might become the new normal.
But in the end, she couldn't let it overtake and dominate her.
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As he did every day when there was school, Tsumi headed over to the school building. But unlike a normal day, he wasn't spotting Kesai or really any demon from the alliance that was coming with him to meet up with their own partner. It was an isolated feeling, knowing his friends weren't wanting to walk with him even though at least one of them would be coming to meet their bookreaders.
It was T that scared them off, this Tsumi had no doubts about nor could he really change the fact of. This other personality, this other him, was the root of problems that Tsumi couldn't solve, let alone keep from happening or stop.
They didn't know T but they could fear him simply with the knowledge that he openly took on Cheshire without the use of a spell from either party.
He was cutting through the school's baseball field to get to the school, just as he did every day.
"Tsumi!"
This wasn't part of the routine though, Tsumi jerking and turning around to see the owner of a familiar voice.
The child was around Tsumi's height, although from the way he held himself you could tell he was from a high class of demon society. He had golden blond hair that he kept in a neat ponytail, big and childish golden eyes glowing with excitement. He wore a burgundy shirt and shorts, a blue cloak draping around his shoulders and being held together by a bright blue broach. One look at him and it would be clear who this child was.
"K-Kiyo!?" Tsumi's eyes wide at the sight of an old friend. "P-Prince Kiyo Bell!?"
The younger demon practically tackled his friend with a hug, laughing with joy. "Tsumi! I found you! You're here! You're here!"
The poison demon couldn't hide his laughter as he hugged the Prince back. "Y-You're here too!" He seriously wished he would have taken notice of who was going to be in this battle. Kiyo had been a good friend that he had managed to watch grow up with him as Tsumi spent time around the castle and the king.
If he had known Kiyo would be here, he'd have tried to look for him! He'd be a great member to have in the Alliance!
The Alliance!
"So, did you find your bookreader yet?" Tsumi found himself practically blurting out as he sat up, Kiyo sitting before him in the dirt of the baseball field and just laughing. "Have you?" The Prince returned, preferring to have an answer before he gave his.
"Yes." Nodded Tsumi. "Her name is Kimiko and I was heading over here to meet her right now."
"Yeah? You already found yours!?" Kiyo exclaimed, grabbing his backpack to show the red book that he kept inside the bag. "I still haven't found mine yet!"
Already?
It had been months since the demon battle began, being that it began around the beginning of the school year and now it was April.
"You don't have your reader yet?" Tsumi furrowed his brow.
"Nope." Kiyo shrugged, not thinking all too much of it as he set his book back in his bag. "I've been looking all over for them...but so far I just haven't really had any luck with it." A soft sigh on his lips.
"I-I...I could help out..."
Kiyo jerked, big golden eyes focusing on the poison demon who sat before him as his eyes grew wide. "Y-You really mean it? You'll help me out!?" Seeing Tsumi nod as he laughed and pulled his old friend into a tight hug with a giggle of excitement.
"H-Hey! You don't need to hug me! I-I just, it's dangerous to be partnerless now!" Tsumi struggled in the hold, trying to jerk himself free with a grunt as Kiyo laughed.
It was weird to see Kiyo here, being that as long as Tsumi had known him the child had been a pacifist. He found fighting immoral and more or less refused to spar with other demon children, opting to do more safe and non-violent acts instead. Sure, it was bizarre for a demon to refuse to fight, but the familiarity of Gash's opinions on the original demon battles made it easy to understand where this sort of personality might arise from.
"J-Just, you don't need to hug me." Tsumi struggled in the tight hug, Kiyo laughing as he let his friend go. "C-Come on, a high school will be the perfect place! You might find your reader right here!"
"Okay!"
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As they headed to the school, something began to feel very off, Tsumi stopping in his tracks as he looked around.
"Are you okay?" Kiyo frowned, his golden eyes wide as he looked at his friend. "Is something wrong?"
"I-I..." Tsumi's teeth severed his lip. "I-I think something is here...A-Another demon."
Kiyo's smile faded as the child cocked his head slightly, looking around. He couldn't exactly see anything around them. Was Tsumi really seeing anything or was there something else going on? Was he just tired and seeing things?
"There isn't anything there thou-"
"Grandam!"
Kiyo and Tsumi gasped, the poison demon jerking as he began to frantically look around, expecting somebody or something to just show up! But where!?
"Tsumi!"
The ground around them split, crushed earth flying at them as both dodged the splitting ground to keep from falling into the fissure.
"W-What was that?" Kiyo panted as Tsumi got up onto his feet. Something was wrong...he just...he had to do something about this! He couldn't just sit back and let it happen!
"Just stand back." Tsumi said as he clenched his fists. "Come out here and face us!"
Snickering could be heard as a demon left the hiding place, a smirk on his face. He had tan skin and long black hair, a pin holding his bangs so they didn't end up right over his eyes. Said eyes were an electric blue, glowing with slight cockiness as three lines went from under each eye to his chin. His ears were pointed, giving him a slightly elvish look. He wore a green shirt without sleeves, short and dark brown pants and Chinese style flat shoes.
His bookreader was a slightly petite girl with long and beautiful sandy hair that was neatly placed in pigtails with free flowing bangs. She had big brown eyes, fair skin and thin pink lips. She was wearing a blue t-shirt under a red vest, a blue plaid skirt that reached her mid-thigh and black shoes with blue socks.
"W-Who are you?" Kiyo muttered in shock as he got up. "W-What are you doing!? What did we do to make you attack us!?"
"You were here, which'll make it easier for us to take you out." He smirked, turning to look at his partner. "Yui, would you like to read another spell?"
"Of course, Seth." The girl nodded, opening their forest green book and seeking a page for them to use.
"Kiyo...get behind me..."
"W-What?!" The Prince looked to the poison demon in shock, the look in Tsumi's eyes so different now that there was peril. His purple eyes looked so experienced, so knowing and suddenly so unafraid. "W-What about you?"
"My bookreader has my book, they really can't do all that much to me." The poison demon brought himself to smile with reassurance, clenching his hands into fists. "You've got yours, so you should stay back and let me deal with this."
"B-But, Tsumi!"
"Don't fight me on this, Kiyo." The poison demon brought himself to smile gently. "Just let me handle this."
And without another word, Tsumi rushed forward and towards Seth, a yell in his his throat and a hand curved into a fist. He was going in for the kill.
"Gransen!"
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The moment the bell rang, Kimiko wanted to get out of the school. She was afraid of approaching Aislinn anymore, if only in fear of being chewed out by her classmate and friend. Well, she hoped they were still friends, but now that the dynamic was rather off, she had no idea how she was perceived.
The blue eyes of both Yukio and Kenja, she could feel them on her but she brought herself to swallow whatever urge filled her to speak to either of them as she left the classroom. She had her bookbag clenched in her hands, more or less hyper focused on getting out and avoiding the situation.
Sure it was the weak thing to do, but it was the only answer she could really give to herself. Sometimes, running had to be the answer, at least in her books.
She had a feeling that she was the first student to flee the school, but right now it didn't matter as a set of hazel eyes began to seek out the poison demon child that always waited for her. They were getting increasingly close after the T issue was more or less solved, leaving the bookreader eager to see the partner who she saw as the most important friend she currently had.
But he wasn't there.
"Tsumi?" Kimiko muttered, looking around the front of the school. "W-Where are you?"
He wasn't anywhere.
Had...had Cheshire had been around?
She drew in a breath, frantically looking around for a demon she wasn't sure if she could find. She was overcome with panicked thoughts, blaming something that likely had nothing to do with the situation as she rushed to behind the school.
And out of the corner of her eye, she could see earth flying and children trying to escape. A flash of purple and a shout of an unfamiliar voice led her to freeze.
Oh God...Tsumi...
"TSUMI!"
Without another thought she ran towards the scene. Her heart was practically beating out of her chest, the sound of every pound ringing in her ears. This wasn't good! Sure, this enemy couldn't burn his book but they could easily kill him!
"Tsumi!"
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Kiyo jerked, his golden eyes wide as he turned to see a girl with long brown hair begin to fumble in her bookbag as she ran towards them. She was screaming the name of Tsumi...could it be that she was his reader? A single glimpse of a purple spellbook confirmed it, a smile spreading to his face as he turned. "H-Hey, Tsumi!"
Oh.
The ground all around them was destroyed, likely thanks to Seth's earth spells. Tsumi completely beaten down, covered in bruises and blood as the child struggled to both keep his balance and continue to fight against an enemy he figured he could handle if only because his book wasn't around to be burned. "W-What?" The child panted, blood dribbling onto his chin as he forced words out.
"I-I...your reader!" The young Prince said, causing Tsumi to jerk and his pupils to dilate as he caught sight of his reader. "K-Kimiko!"
"How convenient..." Muttered Seth, nodding to Yui who kept the book open.
"Grangargo!"
Seth's fist smashed into the earth, Tsumi's eyes widening as he remembered just what this spell did. "Kimi!" His bookreader not having the knowledge he did as she continued to head for him, causing the poison demon to force himself to do as well.
Without a thought, young Tsumi smashed his own body into Kimiko, sending her flying backwards as a set of spikes made completely of earth shot up and pierced Tsumi as his reader collided with the ground.
"Tsumi!" Both Kimiko and Kiyo found themselves shouting this in pure shock, the spikes disappearing as the poison demon landed on the ground, panting heavily as blood pooled from his mouth.
"How cute." Snickered Seth, curling his hand into a fist. "Well, now that we have the bookreader, I guess we can end this. Yui, if you would plea-"
"Hey! That's my student you're hurting there!"
A stone was thrown at Seth, causing everybody to turn as Kimiko tried to keep herself from crying if only because it had already registered in her mind just who this was. "Mister Evans."
Faith Evans was the gym teacher at Seki high school, coaching the baseball team. He was rather patient and was well liked at the school, causing Kimiko to practically panic at the idea of Faith getting involved. Why would he put himself in danger?
Oh god, he probably figured she was the one in complete danger here. Kimiko turned as Seth crushed the rock that was thrown at him in a single hand. And sure enough, there was Faith with another rock in hand and an attempt at a menacing look on his face.
He was a tall man with an athletic build, likely thanks to his teaching gym and being an athletic oriented man. He had somewhat long brown hair with the tips grazing his shoulders, a blue headband holding his bangs in place so they couldn't get in his face. His hazel eyes narrowed in a slightly stern, but protective look with cheeks of hidden dimples deathly still. He was wearing his normal long sleeved white shirt, blue sweatpants and black sneakers. He was holding that rock tight, looking to Kimiko. "You'd best get out of here."
"M-Mr. Evans!" Kimiko grit her teeth, knowing it wasn't right to back talk to a teacher but seeing a more serious crisis happening currently. "Y-You don't know what you're getting into here! It's dangerous for you! I'm going to be okay!"
"Isahowa! Do you really think I'm going to leave this be!?"
"Gransen!"
Earth cannons suddenly appeared after Seth sent his fist into the ground, Kimiko grabbing her spellbook. "Please...Mister Evans, go!"
The cannons fired.
"Rachido!"
They were basically defenseless, their poison spell not quite strong enough to stop multiple cannons that shot large boulders at them. Tsumi cringing as he brought himself to be brave, bracing himself for what was about to happen to him thanks to this spell.
The force of the impact, the boulders that didn't strike causing the earth to shake, causing both Faith and Kiyo to fall backwards. Kiyo dropping his bag as it spilled open, revealing a bright red spellbook that the child gasped at the sight of. He tried to force himself up...but he just felt hurt already. He'd never fought before...he just wasn't used to this.
But, there Tsumi was, taking on this enemy even when he was injured and exhausted...
This was the kind of demon that Kiyo wanted to be, not the violent part, but the brave part who was willing to protect his friends no matter what.
"I-I...I think this is yours." Faith brought himself to sit up, smiling gently through slight pants as he went to touch the book.
Before Kiyo could say anything to object, Faith's fingertips grazed the book and if by magic, it began to give off a powerful red glow. The Prince gasped, eyes widening with glee while Faith cringed, moving his hand away as he tried to process what exactly just happened with the item.
"O-Oh god..."
Both turned to see the horrified face of Kimiko. The brunette looking to her beaten partner and trying to figure out what to do next. She wasn't sure if summoning T was even possible with Tsumi in this kind of condition and she wasn't sure if she had the guts to even try. Seth and Yui stood over them both, their book glowing brightly with the next spell already figured out and ready.
"I need you to take that book and read it." Kiyo swallowed everything he believed in...knowing he had to fight, if only for the greater good. His eyes meeting those hazel ones that belonged to one Faith Evans, the gym teacher frowning. "R-Read that book?"
"I'll explain later, but please! I need you to just read it!"
Faith could see the onset of tears in golden eyes, the desperation in the young voice to get this done. "O-Okay." He grabbed the book, trying to ignore the powerful glowing of the cover as he opened it, finding himself able to read only one spell.
"Z-...Zakeru!"
Tsumi's weakened eyes widened as he managed to turn his head to watch as Kiyo opened his small palm as lightning shot from it at Seth, the demon in too much shock to dodge as he was electrocuted.
"W-What was that?" Faith gasped, Kimiko smiling gently as she eyed Seth and Yui, both who seemed to be backing up. What she didn't know was that they were more or less in panic at the sound of Zakeru. A spell that King Gash had used...this must have been the Prince!
"L-Let's just go..." Seth muttered.
"H-Hey! Hold on a second! You can't just go! We have a fight to fini-" Kimiko shouted only to feel somebody grab her wrist, the girl jerking to see Kiyo who only shook his head. He didn't want to fight more unless he had to and at minimum, Kimiko Isahowa had to respect that.
"I-I understand."
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After finishing her explanation, Kimiko bit her lip and eyed Faith. "Please, Mister Evans, I know this is hard to understand, but this is reality...Y-You could ask Mister Kincaid, he'd tell you all about this."
"Yukio has a demon too?"
"Er...he had a demon partner, Sir. W-We lost him in a battle."
"I see..." Faith stared at the book in his lap, sighing softly. "Well, it's a lot to take in...but if I'm some kind of chosen partner for this kid, I gotta respect that and try to be there for him..." Looking to Kiyo and smiling gently. "I guess it couldn't hurt."
"Y-You mean it!?" Kiyo beamed, feeling the gym teacher ruffle his hair as he laughed.
"Well, if your book chose me it's the least I can do."
Kiyo nodded, meeting the eyes of Tsumi as both of the demon children brought themselves to smile through gentle laughter.
"Hey, Tsumi, what's it like having a bookreader?"
"It's a roller coaster."