Hey guys,

So, let's hope that we can get some more work done on Arc 2, right? With everything starting to become a bit more insane and my final four weeks of summer creeping up on me before my Senior Year (:o), I'm hoping I can either finish or at least really advance into this big section of DBR before I start going back to the most competitive school I've ever seen. So, armed with the OST from Konjiki No Gash Bell- honestly why haven't I listened to this when writing before, it's really pleasant and well... fitting- I'm going to do my best to give you another chapter and keep my fingers crossed that this actually manages to move the plot forward at the end of the day. Because hey, a moving plot is a good plot, isn't it?

But anyways, I hope I catch y'all in good spirits and I hope to see all of you guys very very soon! Have a great day and feel free to review or leave me a pm with thoughts, concerns or criticisms. See you guys later and enjoy the chapter!

xKiha

'We're going to be fine... it's not the end of the world because of this... We're going to be fine!'

Kimiko didn't want to open her eyes, not when she was going to look back at what Aphrodite had created. The statue demon was nowhere in sight, but that was the least of their worries. Kimiko knew that she wouldn't leave, not when this couldn't exactly be the complete end of this. She gripped her spellbook, wishing there was some kind of manual on how to fight an exact clone of your demon, when the only thing that can fight is your demon. It made her feel sick to her stomach, that this was happening right now and she had no idea what to do or how to fight back. She wasn't going to be much help to T, not when she had absolutely no idea what to do.

"Just what the hell is this?" T seemed anything but amused, his sharp teeth clenched and his hand reaching for his sword.

"It doesn't make sense." Kimiko said. "It... It can't really be a copy of you, there is just no way that she could do something like that... right?"

"Only one way for us to find out!" Without even waiting for Kimiko's input, the other half of her demon partner lunged forward, unsheathing his sword and aiming to slice this doppelganger right through the throat. His cold eyes narrowed, a smirk painting itself on his face as he fancied this would be the end of it, he was too strong to be stopped by some mirror image of himself. Nothing could stop him, not when he was as powerful as he was.

But it was right before impact that something went wrong.

If he hasn't have been hyper focused on the demon that he was trying to kill, T never would have noticed the lightning fast moments that came with this doppelganger as it reached behind its back and pulled out its own sword. Seconds before impact, the sword that belonged to the original was blocked, sending T backwards slightly from the shock of the rebound. This only gave the mirror image more time to react, moving practically too fast to see by even demon eyes as it lunged forward, kicking his foe downwards and stabbing T in the left shoulder all before the original hit the ground.

And Kimiko didn't see any of this until the mirror image took a step back and her demon partner smashed into the stone ground, giving a grunt of sheer pain.

"Damn it... How did he do that?" Kimiko wished she had some kind of answer for him, covering her mouth and shaking her head. This couldn't be right, if the two of them were supposed to be the same, how was this copy so much faster than who he was molded off of.

"I don't know." The poison bookreader said, flipping the pages of their spellbook. "But it doesn't matter! There's no way he can win, not when he's fighting on his own!"

Right off the bat, she knew that using Rachido wouldn't work, not when Tsumi had shown a complete immunity to the burning effects of the poisonous gas that they called their first spell. However, since they had never see the effects of Rokuryo when it was stabbed into the body of her poison partner, this didn't rule this spell out as useless. In fact, it could even be helpful, to know just how dangerous Rokuryo could be to anybody, including the demon child that used it as one of his powers.

"The third spell! Rokuryo!"

T glanced over to her, appearing to have an idea of just what that meant as he nodded to her, holding out his right hand and accepting the poison dripping shuriken when it appeared in his awaiting hand.

"This is more like it, finally getting to break in my spells." He sneered, focusing on his mirror image who just stood there, awaiting whatever move the original had planned for him in that moment.

And without thinking once more, T blindly rushed forward, the poison from the Rokuryo shuriken dripping and festering on the stone ground. The mirror image was just standing there, watching him and waiting while T hitched his arm back, preparing to send it forward and end this entire thing with one throw that could prove to be lethal for something that never lived.

But just as before, as the shuriken was thrown, eyes narrowed and focused in on the shoulder and neckline for a perfect hit, the mirror image moved out of the way and dodged it. And just like that, T's anger brought him to try and react, rushing forward and attempting to punch his doppelganger before it could get any closer. However, it immediately caught his wrist, moving one hand over to his shoulder and jamming it into his wound while the other hand snatched his leg. This time it used strength to throw him forward as the alternate side of Tsumi hit the cold stone wall, a shout of pain ringing in Kimiko's ear. The doppelganger looked so emotionless while doing it, but somehow that made its actions look all the more malicious, like it knew what it was doing and it was pleased with making the original suffer while it reigned superior.

All the while, the shuriken from the failed Rokuryo crashed into the ground, the acid from its tips boiling against the stone for a moment before the shuriken faded, having failed at its job.

"I don't get it." T snarled, standing himself up as blood dripped from his shoulder. "How are you doing all of this if you and I are the same... How the hell are you better than me if you're me!?"

How could he indeed? Kimiko wasn't sure, not when they had the advantage of spells on their side while this mirror image had nothing, no bookreader and nothing being used to make it stronger every moment that it was in use. It didn't make sense, how could this copy be stronger than the original?

Unless.

"Maybe..." Kimiko swallowed her words, knowing that this was the last conclusion T would want her to come to. "Maybe it's you, but its you to your full potential? Like it has every power and strength and ability that you have, but to its highest caliber. It's you, but it's you if you were as strong as you could possibly be."

"This... this thing isn't me to my full potential!" He roared, turning towards his bookreader and staring at her with animallistic hatred boiling inside, taking a step forward while reaching for his sword. "You would have no idea what my full potential is! Not when you've spent your time playing games with the pathetic excuse for a demon partner that you've been spending your time with! This may be some unwanted game for the both of you, because you have no idea how to wake up and actually play with real fire! You have no idea what full potential is because I was locked away our book because he rejected just what I stood for!"

Kimiko couldn't believe this, taking a step away from the monster that glared her down, the monster she had brought to fight alongside her in that moment because they were partners and she trusted him. "T... you know I didn't mean that, you know that I think you're strong! That I want to make you strong because you're my partner, you and Tsumi are important to me!"

"Stop calling me that!" He snarled. "We aren't two different kinds of demon, Kimiko! We are the same! We are one, he just refuses to accept me! I am him! I'm just as much your partner as the side that rejects me!"

Kimiko took another step back, not sure if she should be scared or if she could just accept him in that moment, as she nodded. "Okay... Okay, I promise, I won't anymore." Looking back behind them and watching the mirror image suddenly move.

"LOOK OUT!"

Without even thinking it through, Kimiko ran forward, pushing T to the ground as the doppelganger caught up to them, their book pressed between the two of them as the sword of the mirror image sunk itself into Kimiko's right arm, the girl giving a cry out pain as the powerful blade sliced into flesh as if it were nothing at all. It hurt. But as the doppelganger took a step back so it could asses the situation, all Kimiko could think about was the fact that her partner was going to be okay.

"You're not hurt, are you?" She asked, moving to get up as the alternate side of her demon partner glared at her, picking himself up and shoving their spellbook into her hands.

"I'm fine... but don't think making yourself a human pin cushion is going to make me forgive you." He hissed, looking at her bleeding arm with anger boiling in his eyes. "You have no idea just what you're trying to meddle with, Kimiko, so if you want me to figure out just how to kill this clone, you'll only talk if you're reading me a spell. Getting yourself hurt is only going to make everything harder for me."

For a moment, Kimiko wasn't sure what she should say to him, nodding slowly as she opened their spellbook, cringing at the use of her dominant but hurting right arm. She knew she couldn't let this get to her, not when they had more important things to focus on when it came to this doppelganger and just what its purpose was in that moment. "I understand." She found herself saying, lowering her head slightly in submission. "I'll do whatever you want me to."

"Atta girl," He sneered, baring his sharp teeth for all to see. "Won't it be fun to finally watch the true strength of Tsumi come out to play on somebody that you want gone?"

.

.

.

"So... do you have any idea where we are going?"

After entering the labyrinth, being with Kenja meant this took a little bit longer since he took time to consider everything before just trying the obvious, Roku found himself feeling quite a bit irritated. Everything was the same, huge and boring and not exactly what he was looking for. He was hoping for something exciting and since he was with frail, blond and boring and the red headed buzzkill, nothing really looked like it was going to be more amusing at minimum.

"How could we know?" Kesai huffed, ears pricked completely upwards so he could try to keep himself alert. "It's not like we've ever been here before!"

"I was just askin'." Roku returned, folding his arms across his chest. "Jeez, you're so uptight."

"Well, we're in a place that we've never been before, where the statue demon could be hiding anywhere and it's just the two of us! Why wouldn't I be uptight if everything could just get really bad in a second!?"

Yumi let out a squeak of fear, causing both members of the fire duo to look over to her in concern. She hesitated, considering just how she should react as Kenja reached out a hand, placing it on her shoulder and smiling gently. "Don't worry about it, everything is going to be alright. I know that we will be able to manage on our own until we find the others."

"Y-Yeah, you're right." Yumi said, glancing down at Roku who gave her a thumbs up. "We're going to be fine."

But, that's when Kesai's ears perked up.

"Rayuzi!"

"Kenja! Get out of the way!"

Within a split second, Kesai tackled his bookreader, the both of them flying forward and smashing into the cold stone on the otherside. Kenja could only look past his demon partner's shoulder, watching the look on Yumi's face go from one of comfort and reassurance to one of horror as a wall suddenly formed itself in the middle of the hall they had been walking through, effectively separating the pair of bookreaders and demons from each other.

"No!" Kenja said, panting in horror at the realization that they were just split up. "No, Roku, Yumi..."

"K-Kenja."

Turning in the direction of Kesai's voice, the fire duo soon both caught sight of the blond woman standing feet away from them, along with the blue haired child that stood at her side. The fear that filled Kesai in that moment was an emotion he didn't even think he could express, trembling as his ears fell flat against his forehead and he stood himself up so Kenja could get off the ground.

"It's you..." Kesai whispered, taking a step back only to be met with the cold touch of a stone wall. "You're the statue demon that Kimiko and Tsumi were talking about!"

The giggling that left her through only succeeded in making the small Kesai upset, clenching his fists together. "What the hell is so funny!?"

"Well, Kimiko and Tsumi are the two that use poison spells, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are." Kenja said, his blood running cold. "What have you done to them?"

"Oh, never mind that, love. They just thought themselves too strong to consider me a threat, so I left them with a more worthy foe." She took a step closer, eyes narrowed almost seductively. "Your greatest concern right now should be wondering just what I'm planning on doing to you both. After all, it's not like you two are giving off any aura of actually being strong."

Kesai's hands balled into fists, but Kenja only placed his hand on his partner's shoulder, effectively calming the child down before anything that could put them into a worse situation was spoken. "Well then... I guess we're going to have to face you, aren't we?" Pulling his orange book out of his bag and holding it out.

"...If that is how you want to play it, then I guess we have no choice." Aphrodite replied, looking down to the child and smiling. "You and Mommy will make them look pretty when we are done with them, won't we?"

"Yeah!" Suichi chanted, leaving Kenja concerned. Just what did this child think all of this was? Nothing but fun and games or did he know he was causing people pain and misery?

Maybe it was best not to think about a toddler wanting to cause suffering.

"Let's do this." Kesai growled. "I don't want to do this for long if I have to look at a kid telling her what to do... it's not right."

Kenja couldn't have agreed more, opening their spellbook and running his fingers against the pages. "Alright then, let's do this. Fureimurasshu!"

Kesai felt power surge through his body, curling his hands into fists as his entire body ignited with flames. After all of this, defeating somebody that everybody had made a big deal about, that would prove to Setsuna, prove to everybody that they weren't as weak as everybody said! Just because most of his spells weren't that strong or even meant for attacking, just because Kenja spent a lot of time in the hospital, that didn't mean that they were as invaluable as it felt like everybody said they were sometimes! It was time to prove everybody wrong!

And with that thought filling his head, Kesai ran forward, releasing a yell of frustration in hopes of telling the world about all of the anger that he felt towards this situation.

"Raisen!"

Aphrodite didn't even bat an eyelash, watching him run forward and snickering before forcefully pulling hairs from her long blond treasure trove, focusing on the running kitsune as the hairs began to take on a menacing needle-like shape. She sent them flying forward, watching Kesai panic and rush to cover himself in an attempt to defend himself after one of them hit him in the leg, causing the flames from Fureimurasshu to vanish as he cried out in sudden pain.

"And now, let's show you just what playing with me will earn you." Aphrodite said, looking at the huddled over Kesai, trying to pull needles out of his leg. "Now then, Suichi, would you like to help Mommy make her art?"

"Yeah!" The child shouted as the blond demon took a step closer to Kenja, her face frozen in a smirk.

"Renazolin!"

Kesai found himself ducking once again, bracing for something involving the stones, clenching his eyes tightly and trembling. He wasn't ready, no, suddenly he felt deflated and lost... like he couldn't do anything that he wanted to no matter how hard he tried.

And yet, nothing happened.

After a moment of absolutely nothing, the demon child looked up. Seeing the beaming face of the toddler bookreader a few feet in front of him, ears perking up but face constricted in confusion.

"Not seeing the bigger picture?"

Kesai practically jumped, turning around to see Aphrodite standing behind him, a smirk of knowledge and intent plastered on her face. "Well, maybe if you opened up your mind to this world, you would see everything that is happening before you without taking time to believe this illusion of strength that I'm sure you've filled yourself with."

And with that, she stepped to her side as Kesai's entire world shattered.

Kenja was there, but there was no way that he could see him. Encased in stone, Kenja had a look of fright plastered on his face, head lowered and arms wrapped tightly around his chest in hopes of protecting their spellbook from what he assumed would be a damage dealing spell.

"K-Kenja..." The kitsune whispered, shaking his head. "You can't do that to him! He's sick! What if... what if that makes him get worse!? You might kill him!"

"That's not important now... is it?"

Kesai jerked, tears filling his eyes as the statue demon took a step closer to him, face contorting in frustration. "You're not going to come out of this, now and I'm not exactly going to try and bring your bookreader back to us just because of an illness, now am I?" She took another step closer, eyes growing more narrowed with each moment. "You see, demons like you, they live in denial. They know what they really are, how useless they really are, but they know that accepting that just means they're worth less than what they want to be worth."

"It's not true!" Kesai shouted, covering his head in fear of being hurt again. "I'm not in denial! We are strong! J-Just not in the way that everybody else is!"

"And yet, here you are, with a sickly bookreader who has now become the latest piece in my art collection, and you. A pathetic fox demon who's hiding from me because without anybody here to protect him, he's nothing." She hissed, looking back over to the child. "Come on, Suichi, you know that our new art piece doesn't want to be without his friend. We need to keep them in bunches, always together."

"Yes Mommy."

Kesai looked up at Aphrodite, the overflow of tears in his eyes causing them to begin to fall down his cheeks. "Please don't do this."

"It's only the nature of the game, love. There is no other option. But, it would be best for you if you just cooperated. It'll be much easier that way."

He shook his head, unable to stop the tears. He had failed Kenja, had failed everybody. All because he was weak, because he wasn't strong like the rest of them.

"Please, don't."

"Renazolin!"

The tears wouldn't stop.

"I'm sorry... Sorry for being weak."