SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 11 out, this is Chapter 12 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review other than just simply putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot and pairing.

Chapter 12: Crimson

The path is blocked! Yukio realized in horror when he found he was trapped. What is happening? This kind of power...?

"You're such an obedient child." Todo grinned, when Yukio popped out of the bushes, his shotgun trained on the Demon Eater.

"Are you really Todo Saburota?" Yukio questioned. "Why is your appearance like that? Also..."

"That's right." Todo chuckled. "I'm Todo. The previous demon that lent me its power is too old. So that's why I replaced it with another demon with a much higher quality and power. I did it all just to get stronger."

Changing demons? Yukio wondered. Can normal humans even do that? I've never heard of such a thing like that before. "What exactly are you?" he pressed.

"Instead of answering that, can you play with me for a while?" Todo dodged the question. "I want to try out Kakura's power. I really want a chat with you anyway. Let's begin with a normal daily conversation. Ah yes. 'How's your brother doing?'" he fired off an array of flame arrows at Yukio. "Why aren't you answering my question?" he asked, after Yukio was beaten back. "I thought that was already quite a simple question for you. When people ask you 'How's your brother doing', what kind of answer are you supposed to give?"

"It's none of your business!" Yukio snapped, firing three shots at Todo.

"It seems your facial expression has changed." Todo mused, his aura shield dispelling the bullets.

"Why are you asking me that," Yukio inquired as Todo leapt into the air. "Did something happen to nii-san?"

"I am the same as you." Todo remarked, landing before Yukio. "You are bound by your family all the time, right?" he dodged the next hail of bullets. "I understand, you know? Because I'm the same as you in the past, as well. After becoming like this, I can't help but remember these things." he then blasted Yukio off the ledge.

He's toying with me. Yukio realized, getting on his feet. I'm completely trapped within his hands. Our levels are too different. If this continues... he'll toy me to death.

"This is quite painful." Todo admitted, having received a bullet point-blank in his face. "A magic bullet blessed by a water spirit. Because I now contain fire properties, bullets containing water properties can harm me, right? I actually learn something new. But the magic bullets of such low ranking demons such as water spirits, to the current me, just seems like a drop in a bucket. Let's continue chatting." he dodged the next hail of bullets. "Do you have any hobbies? Or let's say dreams."

"Don't joke with me!" Yukio barked.

"Yes, you wanted to be a doctor, right?" Todo ignored his increasingly frustrated opponent. "You had even gotten a scholarship and had been taking advanced classes in high school, am I right? Your foster father also had a doctor's license, right? Earning the titles of 'Doctor' and 'Dragoon' at such a young age, it must be really hard." he jumped to dodge Yukio's fire. "Those two titles are also the titles that your foster father was good at. After all, you're just following your father." he shifted his head to dodge the next bullet. "Earning the titles, even becoming a 'Meister'. Then replacing your dead father as a teacher for the anti-demon pharmacology class in True Cross Academy. You have just been following your father your whole life. But your foster father, who always had been leading you, died. Your brother was the only family you have left. Now, even your brother is going to disappear soon. That's why you already have nothing left."

"Shut up!" Yukio yelled, shooting Todo's handkerchief out of his hands.

"Protecting your brother..." Todo continued. "Is also part of a promise you made to you foster father, right? You had always been walking the path your foster father made for you. He had always treated your brother specially. But what about you? In order to become an Exorcist, you had already gotten used to all the strict training ever since you were a child, right? Don't you think that you are just a tool that had been brought up with special training just to protect your brother?"

"That's not it!" Yukio denied fiercely. "I chose this path of my own free will. This has nothing to do with father and nii-san!"

"You're not even aiming right." Todo taunted, dodging the next hail of bullets. "You're honest deep within your heart. This is inevitable. You must have thought of this many times before, right? Why do you have to endure so much pain for the sake of your brother? Your brother clearly doesn't know how much pain you went through. Admit it. You think 'This is not fair. This suffering... this injustice... I can't take it anymore.' You truly hate you brother, don't you?"

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.