Disclaimer - I don't own The Devil is a Part Timer!/Hataraku Maou-sama! or any of its characters. Copyright to Satoshi Wagahara, White Fox and Funimation. Momoko and Shizuka are original characters created by me.

Ok, this chapter has a pretty big turn in it... Are you ready? Cuz I'm sure not. Btw, if you haven't already seen, I've posted the first part of the new one-shot collection 'Opinions'. Anyway, here we go...

Chapter 9

We need to catch up! How bout this weekend?

Urushihara stared at the screen. His friends had just finished up their exams and Momoko was suggesting a meet up. His fingers tapped on the desk as he thought. He hadn't seen them recently, not for a couple of weeks, and he was starting to miss them. Still, he hesitated to reply. He wanted to tell them the truth, but he wasn't sure how. Even just finding an opportunity to bring it up could be difficult. And getting them to believe him would no doubt be worse. Showing them his wings or his magic powers would convince them, but the chances of being in a safe enough position to reveal it to them, and only them, were slim.

I don't have to do it yet... he told himself.

But then again, he might end up blurting it out if he wasn't careful, and without thinking about who else could hear.

He could be careful. He had been careful so far, hadn't he? He could handle this. With a soft sigh, Urushihara typed his response.

Not too far away, Momoko felt a twinge of fear. She only hoped this would all work out.

And a little further still, Shizuka sat at his own laptop. Momoko confirmed their plans to meet and he grimaced. They had agreed not to bring it up, but he had a bad feeling. The days passed and he constantly found himself wondering what was really going on with Urushihara, and if they might find out sooner than they had expected.

When Urushihara hopped off the train at Shinjuku station, he found Shizuka and Momoko already waiting for him. Their conversation seemed to trail off as he approached them, Shizuka offering his usual relaxed smile and raising his hand in a small wave. Momoko, on the other hand, seemed somehow... different. Aside from the orange wristband she always wore, her outfit was completely void of the clutter of accessories that he had never seen her without. Her whole demeanour was off, actually. Her smile and cheerful greeting were too forced. There was the faintest shaking in her voice. And...

She didn't pat his head.

She always...

He almost said something but they were already heading out of the train station and onto the busy streets. What had they been talking about before he got there? Shaking his head, Urushihara followed his friends out.

The day went by pretty much the same way it did every other time they went out together, but all three of them had something on their mind. Now that she knew there was something more to him, Momoko was noticing all the little things that Shizuka had tried to point out to her before. Urushihara always kept his head low. Sometimes he would casually slip around to one side while they were walking so that he was mostly out of sight from people walking by. He always seemed to be on guard, his eyes always shifting, but the way he talked was as calm and lazy as ever. Had he always been this way?

A police siren sounded a block or two away and both Momoko and Shizuka saw him perk up. His voice never wavered, his pace never changed. But he was listening. They could see that now. He was aware of everything going on around him.

After a couple of hours, Shizuka suggested taking the train to Hatagaya. Momoko and Urushihara both flinched, but neither refused. Momoko gave Shizuka a questioning look. What was he doing? He returned it with a steady, reassuring gaze. At that, Momoko tried to calm herself. She had to act like nothing was wrong.

Urushihara was thinking the same thing. Were they getting suspicious?

"Yeah, alright." His voice stayed level, indifferent, but something in the way his eyes narrowed unnerved Momoko.

They moved on then, walking back towards the train station. Apart from the tense atmosphere none of them wanted to acknowledge, everything was normal. They talked, they laughed, but it always faded into awkward silence until someone thought of a new topic. Even on the train.

The three of them silently agreed not to go to either MgRonald's or SFC, but Urushihara did lag behind for a brief second as they passed by. He glanced quickly into the window of MgRonald's, just to check if Maou was at the counter (he wasn't), then he turned his attention to SFC. This time, his gaze lingered on the man with blue hair who had warned Momoko. His little surveillance didn't go unnoticed.

Did he suspect something...?

Eventually, they ended up strolling along down the streets. Everything still seemed normal, despite the fact they all knew it wasn't, until Shizuka and Momoko's eyes locked. This was it. That look was a silent agreement to finally confront him. This couldn't keep going on.

It was quiet now, they had left the hustle and bustle of the city and were nearing a suburban area. Only a few other people walked down the road, and the occasional car drove by.

Now or never.

It was Shizuka who spoke up first.

"Hey, Hanzo?"

"Huh?"

Shizuka came to a stop, making Urushihara and Momoko stop with him. Urushihara looked up at him, one eyebrow raised in question, then at Momoko. Her head was turned away, and she was nervously twisting her wristband around her arm.

"... Hanzo, you've been acting kinda weird lately."

His head snapped back round to Shizuka at those words.

"How exactly?" he couldn't help the defensive tone from creeping into his voice.

"At first, it looked like it was just down to your social issues but you're avoiding more than just talking to people, it's like you're avoiding being seen altogether. The sound of sirens makes you tense up, and now that guy at the SFC..."

He took a captious step back, trying not to give away his rising panic.

"What about him?"

"I-I talked to him..." Momoko piped up, her voice shaking, "... Twice, now..."

Urushihara's eyes widened.

"You what? I told you not t-"

"And that's all you told me!"

Both of the boys stared at her for a moment, too shocked to respond. Momoko never showed this much anger, and never so seriously. Shizuka lifted a hand towards her.

"Momo..."

"You never tell us anything! You never told us why we had to stay away from him. You never told us anything about yourself, you-"

"You don't know who this guy is, you don't know wha-"

"We barely know who you are!"

This was too much. They were both red, their bodies rigid and their teeth clenched. The same thought running through both of their heads.

I thought I could trust you...!

"Look, you're obviously hiding something, and that guy knows what it is."

"What did he tell you?"

His brow furrowed and he took a defensive stance, straightening up.

"Well, not nearly enough to go on, that's for sure. He just said that you're not who you say you are."

But Urushihara was no longer paying attention. He had noticed something. He had sensed something.

Fear.

Momoko's fear.

This was the last thing he had wanted to happen...

Not a friend. He couldn't take magic from a friend.

All he could think to do was turn and run. Momoko was still shouting at him, though he didn't even try to hear what she was saying. Soon, he heard footsteps - she was following him. Another pair joined them, along with Shizuka's voice telling them to stop.

And now there was fear from him too.

He turned a corner, away from the quiet, closed off neighbourhood. He was sure they were near Sasazuka...

Wrong choice. There were more people here. Momoko and Shizuka were catching up to him.

Then there was a sharp screech from the other side of the street. A horn blaring. Screams. A crash.

The three friends stopped dead in their tracks, staring at the wreckage of the two cars and the crowd forming around them. For a moment, their fight was forgotten, but then Urushihara felt the immeasurable mass of fear and despair flowing into him.

Too much. This is too much...

He kept running, looking for somewhere no-one would find him. Anyone nearby would be distracted by the car crash. He'd be safe, right? He'd be fine. Mere seconds later, his sense of security was shattered.

"Hanzo!"

She was even angrier now.

The street they found themselves on now was empty. He was right, anyone else in the area had run to see what the noise was.

He stopped suddenly and swung around to face her. At first, he didn't hear, or feel, the tearing of fabric behind him and he didn't notice the surge of magic inside him. His mind was racing and he couldn't focus on anything.

He was panting, his eyes filled with panic and sheer terror. He meant to say something but no words came when he saw the looks of horror and confusion on his friend's face. Then he felt it. A presence behind him that he usually missed so much. That only the right amount of human negativity could bring back in this world.

Shizuka caught up to them and froze just behind Momoko when he saw. He could only stare, his mouth gaping.

Wings.

Momoko reeled back with a loud shriek, stumbling as she did.

All emotion but concern and regret drained from Urushihara he took a step forward and reached out.

"Momoko, wait...!"

But she only backed away further, not taking her eyes off him. She bumped into Shizuka, who was rooted to the spot with shock. They were both so scared.

There was so much fear.

Too much.

Lucifer could not bring himself to move a single step closer. It would only make things worse.

Momoko finally shook herself from her daze.

With one last look at him, she ran.