Summary of previous chapter: Konoka found Setsuna to talk about what she felt about Emiko, to tell her that it wasn't love. However Setsuna still wasn't convince, which led to grow her anger. At the end of the party, Setsuna thanked everyone for their presence. She was changing in good to everbody's view.

The next day, every student got a day off. Negi-sensei was the first one to get it, as he was unable to awake. The red-hair girl was trying to get over her hangover so she could do her morning job. She grumbled quietly, but loud enough to wake the girl sleeping in the bed below hers up.

" Hmm...you okay Asuna? " Konoka asked slowly as she rubbed her eyes.

Her roomate got up from her bed to drink water in the kitchen.

" Yeah...just having a headache " she said half-way.

Konoka also got up, turning the light on to check if her friend was really fine.

" I just need to rest after work...ouch... " Asuna came back in the living room to sit at the table, holding an aspirin in her hand.

" You don't look good at all, maybe you should call to ask for a day-off. " the brown-hair girl said, laying on the couch.

" No...I can't do that, I have to pay the room's rent. " Asuna swallowed the med with water.

" I told you it's not a problem about the rent. I can talk to gramps so you won't have to pay anything, or if you want, to give you a delay- "

" Nah! Konoka we talked about it already! I don't need extra favours. " the girl with a hangover replied quiclky, putting her glass of water on the table.
She was a good and strong girl, plus she had personality that reinforced her pride.

" Anyway...what happened between you and Setsuna-san yesterday? " the proud girl said, changing the subject.

Konoka blushed at the memories.

" W-What do you mean? Nothing happened! " she tried to fight away the blush to reduce the doubt in her voice.

Her bestfriend was now eyeing the girl who was trying to sit straight on the couch.
She smiled with mischief.

" Oh...so can you tell me why you took so long in the restroom? I was waiting for you to play a song game but you never got out. And explain me dear, why when I came to open the door, it was locked? And mostly, tell me how you hair got so messed up when you finally came out from the restroom...along with Setsuna-san? " she waited for her friend to answer but she only saw her pretending to ignore her questions.

" And why did I hear you moaned so hard and screamed so- "

" Okay! Okay! That's enough Asuna... " Konoka lowered her face with so much shame to know she has been caught by her bestfriend...in the process.

Asuna smiled in victory. She sure can't hide anything from her.

" You're lucky I was the one who checked the door and not your grand-father. " Konoka eye's widened.

" He sure would have been so upset to hear his little naive and innocent girl was having great se- " she got hit in the face by the pillow Konoka's thrown.

" Shut up! " the mad girl jumped to her friend's side to cover her mouth.

The sudden amount of weight on her body led Asuna to fall from her chair but thanks to Setsuna's trainings, she got good reflexes and managed to grab both Konoka's wrists away from her own face.

" I-I guess...Setsuna-san isn't that shy actually, because in a public place...haha " Asuna said, teasing her friend.

" Gah...A-SU-NA ! " the brown-hair girl shouted, blushing even more.

Then she stopped her raid, letting her body to sit on the floor. Asuna noticed she didn't like the joke.

" Hey I was just joking Konoka. Actually I meant 'what happened between you two' because I saw Setsuna's face after you got out from the restroom...and she didn't seem quiet happy the rest of the night. " she said, releasing her roomate's wrists.

Konoka stayed silent for a minute, remembering the conversation with her lover. Asuna was watching her with concern.

" We...she's having a hard time with herself because of her demon-side. " the brown-hair girl said quietly, looking at the floor.
Asuna was hit by the news.

" Whaat! What d'you mean her demon-side? Setsuna-san has changed into a warm person now, how can she- "

" Because of me. " Konoka said sadly.
Asuna was about to reply when her eyes fell on the clock hanging on the wall.

" Shoot, I'm gonna be late for work! " she got up to prepare herself to leave.

" We'll talk later okay Konoka? " she glanced at her sad friend still sitting on the floor who nodded back.
She sighed before leaving the room. She wished she could stay to comfort her bestfriend.

In the early morning, a beautiful dark-hair girl was walking around the school. She stopped to raise her sword and took it out from its scabbard. She suddenly jumped forward raising her hands as she sliced a demon before he could open his mouth.

When the swordwoman turned back to see him vanished, she could see dark blood stains on the ground.
Her eyes started to burn again. She tried to rub the pain away once more and did it.
She resumed her walk for few meters, when she felt down on her knees, again.

' Damn it! Why is it happening again! Argh! ' the girl let go of her sword to touch her stomach with both hands.

' To be happy as a demon, is not that different from human. '

" Setsuna? " a voice from behind the aching woman called her.

The swordwoman heard sounds of step coming closer to her. She took back her katana next to her, trying to stand.
She suddenly was pushed down again, and turned back to see who it was. This person was sure good to hide her aura.

They stared into each other eyes. One was shining with an ocean blue eyes.
The other girl was glooming, with angry red eyes.

' When a human is hurt deep in his heart, they say

All you need is love. "

" Who do you think you are to push me like this, Emiko? " the samurai girl told her partner.

They kept staring at each other. Emiko wasn't smiling anymore.

' How can she be that lost? ' the taller girl thought, examining the body of the girl before her.

' But when a demon needs to ease the pain in his chest, they say

All you need is blood. '

Emiko quickly raised her hand to write down a message on Setsuna's cell.

" W-When did you get it? What are you doing?! Give it back right now! " she was about to run towards the thief but stopped when she saw her throwing her phone away.

" I just sent a message for Princess Konoka, telling her you're going to be busy so you won't see her this morning. " Emiko said flatly, not losing her serious look.

Setsuna's mouth was about to open when she was cut off.

" We need to talk. And it's going to take long...from what I can see in these bloody eyes of yours. " Setsuna was completely lost.

This girl just came and pushed her down instead of helping her, took her phone to say nonsenses to her princess, and now she wanted to talk about her pain.

" I don't want to. Just get away from my sight. You're pissing me off by just looking at you. " the smaller girl's words were harsh, but not enough for Emiko to walk away.

" I wasn't asking for your agreement Setsuna. " she walked closer to her friend.

" You're too dangerous to walk freely on your own! " Emiko jumped to attack Setsuna. The latter wanted to avoid her punch but the pain was weakening her body.

She spit blood when she hit the ground, coughing a lot. She got hit in her chest.

" W-what, cough cough, are you doing for god's sake! " Emiko was approaching her, she seemed to not want to stop hitting this poor girl.

" I'm doing my job. I'm fighting away...demons. " Setsuna's eyes darken at the word demons. She raised her head to glare at her friend.

' I so want to kill... '

" Exactly...looking at me this way just confirms that you're a real demon right now. " Emiko raised her hand to punch again but Setsuna kicked her in the stomach just in time.

At least, that was what the swordwoman thought, then she felt a hand holding her kicking foot. And before she could notice what Emiko would do, she was thrown away.

However she managed to land on her feet. She was feeling even more the anger that gave her incredible strength and speed. When Emiko reached her to punch her once more, she could see all her movements to avoid them.
She then smiled on the corner of her lips, and hit the girl with blue eyes with an uppercut.

" Don't try me Emiko... I feel so much hatred...I just want to kill- " she got hit by Emiko's low-kick before she could finish her words.

The taller girl was now standing in front of Setsuna, blood leaking from her mouth.

" Do you remember our clan's name? " she said, wiping the blood with the back of her hand.

She heard no answer but a heavy breathing.

" The Onime clan. " Setsuna's eyes widened.

' The...Demon's eyes...? ' the short girl thought, trying to understand.

" I guess you haven't noticed your eyes' color yet? " Setsuna got up, waiting for her to continue.

" It's red. " Emiko said with a dark look.

' What? ' Setsuna thought but the word red echoed in her mind. She could swear she heard it before-

" You really got strong. To be able now to get red eyes...I guess you're not that cursed. "

She felt her eyes burning stronger than before. She quickly rubbed it.

" What...do you mean? " she tried to hold back from running towards the other girl to beat her.

" You weren't supposed to get those eyes, because you're a half demon from our clan. This is our distinctive feature...as a dark demon. And you... " Emiko prepared herself to hit once more.

" ...are about to turn into a complete demon if I don't stop you right now! " her fist was about to touch Setsuna's face when she stopped at the feeling of a cold sword.

" You think you can't stop me unarmed? " Setsuna pushed her sword into Emiko' chin.

But the latter jumped back fast enough to avoid the attack. She smiled at what Setsuna just said.

" Because you think you're armed? " she raised her arm and opened her hand, surprising Setsuna.

" Come to me...Yuunagi! "

Setsuna felt her arm shaking. She tried to tighten her grip around the sword's hilt but it slipped away towards Emiko's hand.

' What the...! ' the girl with red eyes thought with shock.

The girl who now was possessing the sword started to laugh at her stunned friend.

" I was never unarmed by your side. I also was a student of the Shinmei ryuu. I think you forgot I do have a sword...the one I gave you before I left. "

Setsuna began to recall pieces of her memories. She remembered fighting with her with wooden sword when she was a kid. And when she heard her master saying to everyone what prodigy was Emiko. She then recalled she didn't hear what her master said as she was crying so loud when she was given the Yuunagi sword.

Her anger suddenly turned into madness. Setsuna opened her white wings and flew to get back her sword. However Emiko gave a stroke with the sword in the air to blow away the mad girl.

" Now, you can be sure you'll never win against me. " Emiko told her quietly, holding her dark glare.

" You have to get over with this anger, this madness that's eating alive your human side. Listen to your heart Setsuna...everyone here loves you and cares about- "

" -Shut up! Shut the hell up! " Setsuna cried out, flapping her wings with anger.

" Don't you dare say anything about love and care...when you were the first one to betray me and left! " Emiko's eyes widened.

They stayed silent for a moment. Or rather Emiko did. Her body shook from what she heard, so she closed her eyes, trying to breathe correctly.

You say nothing passes, even after a while
That one day it's a dead-end and behind it, the ocean

" Setsuna...I- "

" -Quiet! You wanna know why I'm so mad? You wanna help me to get over it? Then let me try to kill you right there! " Setsuna said out of her mind.

She dashed towards Emiko, attacking the girl with so much power.

Even though she could block the strokes, Emiko was taken back by her angry childhood friend's speed. She then lost her guard and got hit in the stomach, the power of the attack made her crashed meters away. She tried to stand up with the katana when she felt a warm skin fist punching her on her left cheek. She fell down, spitting blood.

' S-she...really are not cursed. I realize now... ' Emiko thought, coughing more bloods on the ground.

That we always keep the mark of a love, a missing one
That everything resurfaces like yesterday, straight forward

Setsuna tried to reach the sword but got blown away by dark wings.

" You're leaving me no choice now... " a dark angel said, raising the sword in her hand.

" I'll fight you ! " Emiko flew to Setsuna's side, ready to slice her.

She won't hold back anymore, if she didn't want to get killed.

Emiko disappeared from Setsuna's eyes to reappear behind her. A pair of golden eyes shot opened as she whispered a spell that immobilized her opponent.

You say nothing is helpful, neither the words nor the time
That it requires a lifetime to one day pretend

Setsuna gasped in pain, kneeling down. She tried to release herself but she was locked very well.

To look behind and come back smiling
Keeping quiet what must be and then act like before

Then Emiko walked to face her, looking through her dark red eyes.

" I can only say... " she was reading so much.

I can only say...

In those bloody eyes laid pain, anger, fear, sadness, frustration, madness...but hope, and love.

" My sweet angel...I just know perfectly how you feel right now... " she raised her hand, and the trapped girl was ready to be slice.

I needed fear to be reassured
I knew the pain before being comforted

" I am so...so sorry... " Emiko was holding her grip on the sword's halt very tight.

I needed tears to stop hiding everything
I knew bitterness long before being soothed

And she put her freed hand on Setsuna's face, pushing her head roughly back on the ground. She held the position as Setsuna was screaming in pain.

You don't know yet, what I know by heart
What I know by heart...

Beauty misfortune.

" I know it feels like hell, but please hold on... " Emiko seemed in pain too. She was watching her dear girl hurt by her own hand.

' It's unbearable. ' they both thought.

You say nothing erases, neither the chalk nor blood
That we learnt after class or after thirty years old

As the pain was growing, so was her anger. Somehow Setsuna managed to release from the lock spell, and kicked Emiko's stomach with her foot, once again.

That we can say 'alas' three times and nobody hears it
Like no one can replace those who are gone for ever

" Arg...what did you to my eyes, it's burning like hell! " Setsuna couldn't stop rubbing her eyes on fire.

" I-it should be okay anyway...just relax a little...cough " Emiko was badly damaged in her stomach. Setsuna's strengh was so huge, that it broke her two ribs.

" I'm going to kill- argh! " Setsuna's pain was too much to hold, she let herself fall on the ground, her wings disappeared.

You say winter is coming and we forgot about spring
That we clean out the shelves we then fill differently
That we recall with green eyes the laugh of every moment

" Don't try to fight it...let the feeling fill your entire body... " Emiko tried to walk to Setsuna's side to reach her shoulder but she got pushed away by a punch she avoided.

" Don't! Don't come and pretend you're my friend..."

That after all the voice dies away...
But the words will live through

" Don't come and act as if you were my family! "

You say it's a trap, a game for losers
That the boat is corked, and the armor in white iron

" Don't say sorry when you left me with nothing! "

That nothing protects you no more, at least not for long
That it's a spell to be alone now

" Don't try to help me when you take everything I've been holding onto all this time! "

" I can only say... "

I can only say...

To be comforted,

Before being consoled,

To not hide anymore

Before being soothed...

" I hate you so much! "

Setsuna's eyes were now wet.
Dark wet.

Emiko froze from the sudden scold. She never expected to be one of the reason she drove her sweet angel into madness, and put her in danger to become a whole demon.
And lose what she has been blessed with.

' My sweet angel '

" How could you leave me, knowing I'll be suffering this much...always leaving with no words of where...and come back teaching me how to live! Why did you leave me alone and put me through all this darkness inside me! "

Emiko finally felt the strength to move, and, with a broken body, tried, as slow as she could to not surprise her friend, to hold Setsuna's head closer to her own shoulder, to hug the pain away.

" I didn't mean to hurt you this much...I'm truly sorry Setsuna...I'm not leaving anywhere...anymore. " she promised with her own blood.

" I had to learn first...in order help you...because no one could teach me now. I was supposed to be taught how to use my eyes...but everyone died. " she caressed the back of Setsuna's head.

" Then I learnt that our eyes, were the strongest because...it were the most evil. It is gold as life. It is red as blood...that's why...I am the cursed one and you are the blessed one. "

Setsuna held her back, crying even more.

" We're evil as the devil but you...are human. And I learnt...for you... "

" I needed fear to be reassured...I knew the pain before being comforted..."

" I needed tears to stop hiding everything... "

" ...I knew bitterness long before being soothed. "

" You don't know yet, what I know by heart... "

" To get over with this...Beauty misfortune. "

Asuna just got back from her early part-time job. She quickly took off her shoes, so she could see her best-friend.

" Kono...ka? " she saw her sit on her couch, still in pyjama.

" Are you alright? " she came nearer to the bed, wondering why she wasn't sleeping.

Konoka only showed her her cell, with Setsuna's message sent by Emiko. After glancing at it, Asuna pondered for a minute.

" What would she be mad at you? Setsuna-san never was if I recall. Then... "

" What if she hates me?... " Konoka began to cry quietly.

" She never would! Oh Konoka...I know Setsuna-san enough to know she would never be capable of any thing like that...She even once told me she would have love for you to be her wife. " Asuna grinned at her, holding her tight on her shoulders.

The sad girl smiled weakly, remembering her lover's promise when they danced.

" Don't you worry, I'm sure she didn't mean this message. Go back to sleep, and when you'll wake up, just stay the same like everyday, and you'll see she'll come like she always did. " Asuna said, trying to cheer her best-friend up. She grabbed a tissu on the table and handed to the crying girl.

' Don't leave me. '

" Kono-chan! Wake up, please! " a familiar voice said.

The brown-hair girl blinked with anxious. She tried to get back to her senses. The voice kept calling her, but she didn't know if she still was in her nightmare, where she saw her knight tainted with blood.

She slowly opened her eyes wide, waking up to face the person calling her. Her eyes showed horror as the view of her beloved girlfriend tainted in blood.

' Am I still dreaming? ' she thought, rubbing her eyes hard.

" Kono-chan! Please awake! We need your help! " Setsuna tried to snap out her princess from her somnolence.

The knight was holding her friend's body, bleeding from her mouth as she tried to open her eyes.

" I think...I'm bleeding from...inside...cough " Emiko managed to say, alerting the princess.

" W-what happened? Why are you so injured both of you! " Konoka yelled in panic. She checked Emiko's body, trying to examine her injuries.

" I'm not hurt Kono-chan, only Emiko... " she couldn't finished her sentence, to tell her she was the reason of her bleeding to death.

" B-but! I'm not strong enough now to cure this kind of injuries Secchan! I'm not even able to cure simple broken bones! So asking me to heal internal injuries... " Konoka was lost in the situation. She wished this was all a dream.

Suddenly the door opened, the red-hair girl came back with their young teacher. He wasted no time in greetings, and went to Emiko's side to examine her.

Still in Setsuna's arms, Emiko was losing her breathe. Negi laid his hands on her chest and belly. Her skin showed no cut, but was turning in dark red color. He frowned.

" This...I can't cure this kind of injuries because I'm not strong in healing magic...but... " he turned to Konoka, looking serious.

" You can do it Konoka. You'll have to be quick, and do it right away after I tell you what you have to do. " the young mage girl nodded, looking back at her lover who looked worried sick.

" Alright...You have the abilities to heal this, but all you need is to gain more power...in order to have it and save Emiko-san at the same time it's... " everyone was watching him with serious.

" ...to do a pactio-kiss with her. "

The three girls' eyes widened in surprise.

Song fic: Beau malheur, from Emmanuel Lemoire. Lyrics translated by me. (Swappy)