Chapter 26: Stray Bullet
Alright guys, it's time to respond to the comments. I know you all enjoy it just as much as I do.
AssassinSlayer101
Thank you again for your comments, my friend, although you will still have to wait for the chapter where Hiro and Makima confess to each other. However, in this new chapter, you'll have plenty of content to go back and reread, believe me.
madarawank1
Thanks. But what the hell does JJK mean in English? Jujutsu Kaisen? How the hell am I supposed to put Jujutsu Kaisen into this story? Or are you guys trolling me? Hmmm *suspicious and sexy glance*
killermemester
You flatter me my friend, but I don't think it's very ethical to create a patr3on (for some reason this site removes the word from me) just so people can access chapters earlier. I don't think there's anyone who would pay to see this before others. Although I believe you can post content on patr3on without you guys having to spend a penny, I'm still not interested in doing it. But that's why I try to always release the chapters at the same time as on Wattpad, so you guys don't miss out for too in this case I think it's illegal xd,but thanks again for your comment.
Houses of The Unholy
I'm glad to see you around here again. I was surprised to see that you were the first to give me a Kudo on AO3.
Alright i'm done.
Notes: I'm surprised that some of you actually left a comment after I told you it was free haha, usually only one or two people leave a comment xd so it was surprising to see more than usual.
Sorry for the delay again, I was... busy with my gacha games.
I've been busting my ass in Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, but I managed to get Raiden Shogun's C1 and Sara C6, getting closer to C2 oh yeah.
And I managed to pull Ruan Mei a day before her banner ended, just had to throw in 77 more wishes after losing the 50/50 with Welt, dear lord.
Remember that Hiro and Makima are teenagers now, right? Well, the teenage hormones devil is going to hit them in this chapter.
And the gun devil too, but that dude shows up right at the end.
Hey, I imagine if you guys keep reading this story, it's because you've become fans of the Hiro x Makima movement, am I wrong?
If so, then here I have a good amount of fanservice for you.
Wait... Is receiving fanservice from something that's made from fanfiction still valid?
Just to clarify... This was never considered a self-insert, and much less a male reader
0O0O
It was somewhat early in the morning when Hiro found himself walking towards the kitchen of his apartment; breakfast was the most important meal of the day, and it was necessary for him to get his.
Where else could he get the energy to deal with Makima?
And worse now with her being bolder... Hiro still had chills just remembering what he experienced yesterday in the library. It goes without saying that the strange sensation of Makima's breath tickling his ear was not easy to forget.
He simply couldn't get it out of his head.
Hiro shook his head as a way to distance himself from those thoughts; they wouldn't do him any good at the moment, so he better went to the fridge and took out an already opened carton of milk. He took a seat at one of the chairs at the table near the huge windows; he always liked to eat here, the view of the city was impressive.
Next to him was an ordinary box of cereal along with a deep plate he would use for his cereal. Hiro always wondered what came first, the cereal or the milk?
It was like that question of the chicken and the egg, which came first?
"Clearly the plate goes first" he poured the cereal and the milk and set out to enjoy a very normal breakfast for today.
Kishibe and he only ate cereal when both were too lazy to cook something else that was more in line with Japanese culture; his mother would probably be disappointed in him. But Hiro preferred not to exert himself too much today, after all tomorrow he would have to go on a long school trip to Hiroshima and it was better to save as much energy as possible.
If only he had slept better last night, he might have even believed that statement.
Hiro rubbed his forehead, a slight irritation aching at the back of his head due to the lack of sleep, if he remembered correctly he probably went to bed at 2 in the morning and it was currently 7, five hours of sleep were not enough for him.
"I think I shouldn't have gotten out of bed," Hiro probably would have slammed his face right into the bowl of cereal and milk, had it not been for the sound of heavy footsteps catching his attention.
Kishibe casually walked into the kitchen, ignored Hiro, and made himself a coffee so quickly that Hiro felt inclined to applaud.
He felt a small, uncontrollable irritation rise within him as he watched his supposed mentor go about his life so calmly as if he had no more important matters to deal with him.
"Hey!" Hiro spoke, trying to catch Kishibe's attention.
Kishibe turned around, looking confused. "Are you talking to me?"
"What? Of course I am, we're the only ones living here!" It wasn't a good idea to anger someone who hadn't had enough sleep, especially when it was a teenager.
"There are like three more guys in my head" Kishibe replied casually.
"Those don't even count!"
"Why not? They earn their keep just like I do at work."
Hiro was left without an argument there. He had to remember that Kishibe's devils also helped support their economy, as strange as that sounded.
"...That doesn't matter" he sighed, setting aside his breakfast to look seriously at Kishibe "I wanted to ask you something I've been curious about"
"Shit..." Kishibe's face seemed to pale for a second "I knew this day would come"
"Eh?" Hiro was confused. Could Kishibe actually read his thoughts that quickly? Well, that made things easier.
Kishibe took a seat at the same table across from Hiro, placed his coffee to one side, and clasped his hands together, ready for the awkward yet important conversation.
He coughed a little before starting, "I was hoping Quanxi would explain this to me, but it seems bad luck always knocks on my door."
"Huh? Why would Aunt Quanxi need to explain this to me?" Hiro felt that something was wrong with all this, a very strange sensation in his stomach as if something disturbing was about to happen.
"It would save me some trouble. Anyway, Hiro, you see, as you grow up, you'll start to experience different sensations in your body, some of them won't make much sense, like why your... Little buddy down there wakes up with a lot of glory in the mornings..."
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
"What?"
What the fuck was Kishibe talking about?
"I know it sounds weird but it happens to all men, sometimes it's really hard to hide and other times it gets up again at other times of the morning, believe me, it was hard for me to hide it during my early teenage years, but I learned to control it."
Hiro's brain was burning with each word Kishibe said, his cheeks turned red as he stared open-mouthed at the hunter who for some reason kept talking about cocks
"Eew, this guy's mind got filled with several images of those things"
"In those cases, the only thing you have to do is imagine other things to calm down, whether it's about food, animals, or different tasks you have pending. You won't even notice when your little friend has calmed down. Although you will also experience other sensations that are more difficult to control, especially when you see a woman."
Oh crap, crap crap crap crap.
Hiro's face lost color in that moment, having a strong suspicion of where this conversation was going to end up; this was not at all what he had in mind. All of this was a big and weird misunderstanding that led Kishibe to keep talking about the male reproductive organ.
"W-W-WAIT, I DIDN'T MEAN TO-!"
"Let me finish" Kishibe cleared his throat. "Are you familiar with masturbation? Many teenagers your age often do it."
The little innocence that remained inside Hiro was shattered that morning.
One hour later.
"If you want, when I get off work, I can get you some magazines for you to experiment with. I can bring you different types so you can discover your own preferences. But tell me, what's the first thing you notice about a girl? The breasts or the ass? That would help me a bit."
"..."
"I'm a simple man in that regard, I like both, more like a balance between the two things to form an attractive body to look at. Quanxi is very close to my preferences, that's why whenever I can, I try to get close to her."
"..."
"You can't imagine what I did with my first paycheck, it was also the first time I discovered that I like to be on the bottom."
"..."
"There are also different types of precautions. You wouldn't want to get a girl pregnant when neither of you is ready to be a parent. You're still too young to do something like that, even for fun. Wait until you're 18, or at least 17."
"..."
"Also, as you experience all these kinds of situations, you will discover one or two fetishes that you didn't know you had. You usually discover it as you spend time with your couple"
"..."
"I used to wonder if it was strange that I liked women who could beat me up, but I managed to accept it and it's more common than you think. But it would be very worrying if you discover that you like sadomasochism... I wouldn't openly judge you, but it would be difficult to look you in the face again."
"..."
"Hiro... Have you ever wondered if there's a sex devil?"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
A person's patience has its limits, and if those limits are surpassed, the consequences can be severe for one's composure. The unfortunate thing in this matter is that Hiro Takahashi had lost his patience within the first few minutes of all these explanations and anecdotes.
They weren't even in the apartment; currently, both were in the car heading straight to the training and research center, meaning that throughout the journey, Kishibe hadn't stopped talking for a moment, somehow getting too immersed in his own conversation as if it were the first time he and Hiro had anything in common.
But it was quite the opposite.
Hiro had given up trying to stop him, wanting to tell him that this wasn't what he meant and that it was all a misunderstanding, but his words for some reason didn't reach Kishibe, so after 40 minutes and after getting into the car, Hiro remained silent, just looking out the window trying to ignore Kishibe.
But with each anecdote and explanation, every minute in the car became a torture, an excessively uncomfortable torture that would reduce even more his chances of getting a good night's sleep.
He was pretty sure he didn't need to listen to any of Kishibe's anecdotes, and definitely not about his preferences in women.
In any case, he didn't even know what he meant by 'being the submissive one', but he was sure he didn't want to find out.
Indeed, if he could somehow erase the last 60 minutes from his mind, he would gladly do it himself.
What a way to start the morning.
"Is something wrong?" Kishibe asked, taking his eyes off the road for a moment.
"YES, EVERYTHING IS WRONG!" Hiro responded while holding his head in a state of extreme frustration along with a level of embarrassment he had never experienced in his life, probably his face was so red right now it could be compared to a tomato.
"Really?" Kishibe thought for a moment and came to a wild conclusion, "Don't tell me you like men? In that case, I think it will be much harder to try to get you magazines..." Kishibe was already devising a plan to enter an adult store and go to the forbidden section without being recognized.
Hiro felt like he was going to faint at any moment, "YOU'RE A... AAAGH!" He was starting to believe that Kishibe was doing this on purpose just to annoy him.
God, how he was going to enjoy those vacations in Hiroshima.
Wasn't it too late yet to go to that orphanage?
"THIS IS ALL COMPLETE NONSENSE!" he looked at Kishibe with a furrowed brow, and although he seemed angry, his huge blush made it impossible to take him seriously, "THAT WAS NOT WHAT I MEANT WHEN I SAID I WANTED TO ASK YOU SOMETHING, YOU BRAINLESS DRUNK... WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO ASK WAS WHEN THE HELL YOU WERE GOING TO START TRAINING ME NOW THAT I'M 14!" Hiro took a couple of breaths to try to calm down.
"But instead, I've been listening to your crazy anecdotes about how you've slept with so many women in your life and how you wish they were all Aunt Quanxi because apparently, she's hotter than lava itself!" Hiro just recited the words Kishibe had told him at some point in this conversation.
He leaned back in the seat trying to regain his composure, wishing he could be deaf at that moment.
Kishibe apparently took it all in stride, "Oh, why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Tch... You're a..."
"But if what you wanted is an answer to that question, then don't expect much."
"Eh? What are you talking about now?"
"Look, I remember very well telling you that we would start with physical training once you turned 14, but..."
Hiro narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "But?" he had a feeling that Kishibe was about to drop the most stupid excuse he had ever heard.
Kishibe was looking at the road, his face was very serious when he said the following words so Hiro would know that everything he was about to say was nothing but the truth.
"I was too lazy to start" he simply replied.
Hiro did everything possible not to try to gouge Kishibe's eyes out for the rest of the trip.
Later, the strangest car ride had come to an end when Kishibe found a place to park. Hiro didn't think twice before rushing out of there completely traumatized.
But Kishibe's voice stopped him dead in his tracks, "Hey kid"
"Hm?" Hiro looked at him inquiringly but with some irritation.
Kishibe leaned back in his seat with a sigh, massaging the back of his neck as if signaling that his body was about to start experiencing more discomfort from now on, "I'm pretty sure this is going to be a hassle, I personally enjoyed the quiet hours in that library, but... Ugh, how about we start your training for real when you come back from your school trip to Hiroshima?"
Hiro didn't think twice at that moment either "Really!? Wait... What assures me that after that you won't just spend all afternoon at a bar?"
"Because if we don't start once and for all, you'll keep nagging me to death."
"Right, very true." It seemed that a part of the frustration had lifted from Hiro's shoulders, "So, it's after the trip to Hiroshima then? That way I can confirm you really didn't scam me when you told me to come with you."
On one hand, it was fair to have a vacation before subjecting his body to intense training sessions, though it always depended on what Kishibe and Quanxi would start with. But on the other hand, he wasn't sure how he would manage to train and do his schoolwork.
But he was Japanese at heart; overexploitation was in his veins.
Kishibe rolled his eyes, "If I had wanted to scam you from the beginning, I would have offered you candy to convince you, just like they do in Division 9."
"What does Division 9 do?" Hiro raised an eyebrow at the odd comment.
"Things I'd rather not have found out, you're very lucky I like women my own age..."
"Eh?"
"Forget it, the point is that this time we're going to get serious with you, you're going to train with me and Quanxi after you come back, so prepare yourself."
Hiro smiled excitedly "I will! I can't wait to start training with Makima."
Kishibe sighed, "Why do you always set such unattainable expectations for yourself?"
Hiro shrugged, "Why do you say that? Technically, she also trains there most of the time... Now that I think about it, in these 4 years, I think I've never seen her train in person."
It was true, all the times Hiro arrived and left the research and training center, he was never able to witness the supposed training Makima was undergoing. The main reason was perhaps that she trains in a more secluded place, in a different room than the one he already knew where Doctor Nishimura approved his entry into this place, and since he was not allowed to go anywhere else in the building apart from the library and that room (because of Kishibe and at the doctor's request), he was never able to appreciate the incredible things Makima was doing.
It excited him beyond measure.
What he would give to see that Bang once more.
Although next time, he would get himself some ear protection.
"Nishimura said that's none of our business, and honestly, I couldn't care less about where that brat trains. Plus, don't get your hopes up, we're going to train in the same room you already know, it's the one you're most familiar with so that just makes it more convenient."
Hiro sighed, scratching his head, "I guess it's better than nothing."
"Exactly, now if you'll excuse me, I have to go. Make sure you and that brat don't do anything... stupid, while I'm not around," Kishibe warned with a serious look.
Hearing that, Hiro remembered what happened yesterday in the library with Makima, her face so close to his and how her eyes seemed to search inside him as if wanting to reach his soul, all of that just triggered his face to turn red again.
"I-it's probably too late for that" he murmured.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing! Well, I'm off too" Hiro started walking again while trying to calm his blush.
"Wait" Kishibe called him back, and once again Hiro had the feeling he was about to say something stupid.
"Are you sure you don't like men? You and that Kenji kid are pretty weird sometimes," Kishibe squinted his eyes.
Meanwhile, at the Inoue mansion.
Kenji was in his room quietly reading a manga when the urge to sneeze overtook him.
"Achoo! Ugh, that's strange, I could swear my room is dust-free. Or maybe some cute girl is thinking of me, or perhaps Hiro is thinking about me."
Kenji grew serious and began to stare into space. "Hmm, I miss Hiro; he's such a good friend. I wish we could spend more time together."
He frowned upon realizing his words could easily be taken out of context. "I wonder if thinking about him this way makes me gay. I'm pretty sure I'm not. If anything, I think that would help to strengthen our friendship. I should suggest he thinks about me more often to make it stronger, yes, that sounds like a good idea."
After having that thought, the young, and definitely straight, Inoue returned to his favorite manga. "Ah, Hiro is so cool, though he tends to think too far ahead about his future, almost like a schizophrenic vagabond."
Unbeknownst to him, in a parking lot far from his home, a teenager was yelling at a devil hunter to get lost once and for all before he ruins his morning even more.
0O0O
The footsteps along the corridor were audible, and the darkness felt almost tangible, despite the windows being to their left. Hiro always wondered who had chosen the decor for the hallway leading to the library; the torches placed on the wall gave it a eerie and mysterious touch, but it also reminded him a lot of a dungeon from the medieval era.
Well, who cared about that? He learned that sometimes it was better not to ask too many questions if one wanted to make progress in this life.
When Hiro opened the massive door, he was met with a very familiar scene, yet one he hadn't seen in some time; Makima was reading a book quietly at the table, with a hand lazily resting on her cheek. She wore a black shirt with 6 buttons and a perfectly arranged collar turned outwards. Light blue tight pants and ankle boots.
Damn, where did she buy her clothes? She had style.
Her eyes glanced up, and just a second later, a small mysterious smile adorned her young face upon realizing who had arrived.
"Late~. The best hunters never arrive late~" her voice sounded strangely mocking today... Almost like yesterday.
Hiro blinked a couple of times before regaining his composure. "Um, I can't remember the last time I saw you arrive before me" he went straight to the point, trying to ignore how her eyes, filled with an unknown desire to him stared intently at him. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he could bet Makima's eyes were capable of expressing amusement.
Yes, probably just his imagination.
But his imagination had been scaring him a lot lately.
Makima closed the book. "Hmm true, maybe the last time was about two or three years ago." She lifted her right arm up high and placed the left almost behind her head, making the hand touch the elbow of the other arm, and started stretching to try and wake up her upper body, all while not paying much attention to the look Hiro was giving her.
His imagination started to work again.
Hiro found himself inexplicably captivated by every gesture of Makima, even in actions as mundane as a simple stretch. Each of her movements seemed almost choreographed, subtly highlighting the curves of her body, while her shirt delicately conformed around her chest and waist. He was forced to blink several times, trying to avert his gaze from her neck, a canvas of porcelain skin that seemed inviting to be explored especially as her stretching revealed more of it.
The sight was disconcertingly attractive to Hiro, even if such a thought had never registered in his mind before.
Whenever he saw a woman on the street, he never gave more than a glance, not because he leaned towards the other gender, but simply never found a reason.
Until now. Makima was making his mind work overtime.
He didn't know why, but there was something about that simple exposure of skin, so innocent yet so provocative, that he found irresistible. He could easily guess that whatever Makima's training involved, it was doing favors to every part of her body.
A reckless idea began to form in his mind, fueled by Kishibe's previous words about exploring his tastes. Would it be too daring, perhaps even experimental, to stealthily approach that defenseless neck, on the edge of temptation, and start to...?
Hiro punched himself before the line of his thoughts could finish.
What the hell was he thinking!?
Makima abruptly stopped and looked surprised at Hiro for his sudden action. "Hiro, are you okay?"
No damn it, he was not okay at all.
The young man coughed a bit into his fist, trying to calm himself while making all his strange and lascivious thoughts disappear once and for all. It didn't help that Kishibe had given him that stupid talk earlier; it seemed to have messed up his mind even more.
"I-I'm fine... Just... didn't sleep well last night," he gave an excuse with a bit of truth, hoping she wouldn't ask any more questions.
There were three chairs at the table, Makima was sitting in the first one and dragged the second one out, preparing it especially for Hiro to sit in, as they always did.
Hiro sat in the third chair.
This earned him an inquisitive look from Makima. Normally, they sat together so she could get closer to him and do as she pleased whenever she wanted, and by that, he meant hugging him to exhaustion and breathing in his scent as much as she wanted.
Was something wrong with him today?
Only Hiro had the answer.
"Hiro... Are you sure you're okay?" a slight concern could be heard in her words.
Hiro chose not to look at her, still very embarrassed by his earlier thoughts. "Yes, I assure you," a forced laugh escaped him, which did nothing to calm Makima's curiosity and concern.
She remained silent, watching with a sense of helplessness as Hiro, now sitting in a chair a bit further away from her, delved into reading a book he had picked at random.
He didn't even realize it was written in Italian...
This distance between them, this void, was almost unbearable to her, contrary to the nature of their relationship. In short, it was very unnatural for her.
She felt the need to act, to close that gap, wishing fervently to communicate her need to be closer. She wanted to tell him openly to stop playing dumb and return to the closeness they had shared over the last four years. But something inside held her back, a mix of fear and concern that expressing it openly would be uncomfortably inappropriate, especially after the events of the previous day.
It was counterproductive because she was sure Hiro would be willing to get closer to her, only if she asked him to... But lately, everything felt more difficult, as if expressing her feelings to him was a march she was increasingly reluctant to continue.
Makima didn't need Hiro to know all her thoughts after all, but still...
It was strange, and it frustrated her not to understand why it was becoming more difficult to speak directly to him, yet so easy for her to have him on her mind 24/7.
What a paradox. Makima had never needed to explicitly ask Hiro to come closer; their relationship had been shaped through four years of shared routines. Yet now, she felt an unavoidable urgency, a sense that something was wrong with Hiro...
Was he trying to avoid her? Or was she exaggerating the situation?
Determined to act, Makima left her chair with a loud screech, discarding any pretense of subtlety. Hiro watched her out of the corner of his eye, catching her intense gaze fixed on the empty chair next to him. With a decisive movement, she moved and sat there, facing him with an enigmatic and imperturbable expression.
But one that sought answers and attention, emphasis on attention.
Discretion had never been one of Makima's traits. She had learned to get what she wanted without hesitation, and at that moment, what she needed was to capture Hiro's attention.
No one could blame her for wanting him to pamper her throughout the day, after all, she couldn't do that with anyone else in the world...
He was her only beacon of light in the darkness.
Any trace of embarrassment or discomfort vanished from Hiro's features, only to be replaced by confusion and amusement. "W-what was all that about?" he half-asked, half-laughed, unsure of how to react.
He knew very well what was happening; he could recognize that look she was giving him. It wasn't the first time she had directly approached him seeking affection, and he didn't mind because it was always funny and cute to see.
It warmed his heart to an almost realistic level, as lately he couldn't calm it down.
Makima looked away, her fingers pinching the sleeves of Hiro's shirt as if it were a nervous tic. "I... just want to make sure you're okay."
"Everything's fine, Makima, really, I'm cool as a cucumber." The small bags under his eyes betrayed him.
Makima gave him a look that said she didn't believe him at all. "Hiro... The book you're holding isn't even in Japanese, and unless you've learned Italian overnight, I highly doubt you can understand it."
Hiro took a closer look at the book; he didn't care about the content, he had just picked it up to seem like he was going to read and not to calm his mind from thinking more strange things about her. Indeed, the book was in Italian.
"Oh... Right," was not his smartest move.
Makima sighed but smiled amusedly, "You're still as absent-minded as the first day."
Hiro felt himself blush, "W-well, who puts a book that's written in Italian in this library? None of us could understand it."
That characteristic smile of Makima's returned, "I think you're the only one who wouldn't understand it."
"Huh? Wait... You mean you," Hiro looked at Makima with wide eyes, "You know Italian!?"
Makima had a mischievous smile that only appeared when she wanted to show Hiro something incredible that was sure to earn her praise from him, "Cosa ne pensi? Posso insegnarti, se lo desideri. Certo, non è affatto facile ottenere una buona pronuncia come senti" Makima spoke in Italian in a way that sounded very natural and fluid with flawless pronunciation.
Hiro didn't understand a damn thing she said but it sounded very convincing to him.
"Damn... That's good" he said utterly amazed by Makima's skills "But when did you-?"
"When I reincarnated, not all knowledge left my head, there were some things I could use to my convenience, among them was speaking almost any language depending on the country I found myself in," she explained easily.
"Heh... You're right, that does sound pretty convenient, but coming from you, I'm not surprised," Hiro laughed, and a moment later, Makima joined him.
It only took a moment of peace and a couple of encouragements for her to wrap her arms around his waist and hug him with as much affection as she could express, without accidentally killing him.
Hiro let her do whatever she wanted today, maybe it was just him, but he felt that as time went on, these moments were becoming more scarce, Makima trained more often and they hardly had time to see each other like in the early days, not to mention yesterday's awkward moment, she literally was only here to greet him and then leave.
What a bummer.
The thought that his moments with Makima were diminishing as the days went by scared him; he didn't want to drift away from her and he knew very well she felt the same. With all this in mind, he wondered how she had dealt with this thought without expressing it.
"Hiro."
He stopped thinking when Makima called his attention. "Hm?"
Makima nestled her head on his shoulder, feeling content. "Can we stay like this for the rest of the day?"
Hiro smiled at her request. How could he deny her such a thing?
"Of course." He also adjusted his own head onto hers and closed his eyes, relaxing in this atmosphere that only they could create.
It was better this way.
After all, Makima would have to wait a whole week before she could talk to Hiro again.
It was going to be torture.
0O0O
Some time later.
"I can't do anything to convince you not to go, can I?"
He sighed. "Makima, we've already talked about this. Who knows what will happen to my grades if I don't go. It would be worse if I had to attend summer school; I'd have even less time to see you."
"The educational system is so mediocre."
"You only say that because it takes me away from here. But remember, summer classes~"
Makima knew he was right, sometimes it didn't feel good for Hiro to be right if it meant her losing out. "Tch... It's going to be so boring without you."
Hiro looked at her as if she were the queen of drama. "It's not that big of a deal, Makima, you'll be fine without me."
"No, of course not."
"It's not like I'm leaving forever."
Makima was getting exasperated. "Hiro, you don't understand."
He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
In a move he didn't expect, and one he hadn't seen in four years, she lifted herself from her position on his shoulder and gently, precisely, connected her forehead with his. Hiro was caught off guard but refrained from saying anything when he saw that her eyes were closed, seeming to enjoy this sensation more than him despite their close proximity.
Makima's words were spoken in a whisper, but thanks to their closeness, he could hear them clearly "When one has the chance to taste heaven, everything else seems like hell"
Hiro looked at her in surprise after that, however, he allowed himself to smile "I see..." Now more than ever, he wished that they would occasionally be paired up for training, just so both could soothe their anxieties caused by not seeing each other as often as before.
Now in a move she didn't expect, Makima felt Hiro's hands gently slide to her waist, drawing her closer to him. He rested his head against her chest, entwining his hands around her back in a comforting hug.
"Hmm, you know, I don't know if it's because you've lived many more lives than I have, but sometimes you speak in a way that seems old-fashioned" commented Hiro. Perhaps the multiple lives that Makima had lived, steeped in an era of aristocracy, elegance, and romance, had shaped that distinctive charisma she possessed.
It was just a guess from Hiro, which might be attributed to the predetermined nature of the control devil, but given Makima's unpredictability, it didn't seem like such a far-fetched idea.
Or maybe the control devil learned to express itself in that manner as it learned from the world around it.
Makima initially found herself puzzled by Hiro's action, but almost instinctively, she began to stroke his hair while he let out a sigh of satisfaction.
Now that she thought about it, she was always the one who initiated the hug, which is why she always found herself comfortably placed against Hiro's chest while he brushed his hands through her hair. Now, the situation was reversed, but she didn't mind.
She could even get used to this if it meant Hiro would put his hands on her waist again, sending a spark of unknown energy through her.
"Though I don't remember any of those lives" she responded to Hiro's observation. "Maybe I just prefer to express what I want to say in the clearest and simplest way possible."
"But sometimes you like to put all your feelings into it."
Makima laughed a little, "I feel like I can't help it, at least not with you. There are so many things I'd like to tell you, you know?"
Hiro opened his eyes but made no move to break the hug. "... And why don't you say them now?"
"It's an easy question to ask," Makima shook her head as she frowned. "But not easy to answer with words, especially when I don't even know exactly what I want to express."
"... I think I don't understand where you're going with this."
Makima's gaze softened though he couldn't see it. "I guess that's what happens when you express yourself in an old-fashioned way" she teased with a small laugh.
Hiro rolled his eyes, "Do you read poems or something to end up speaking in such a... I don't know, elegant way? I'm not sure if that's the right word."
Makima sighed amusedly, "I think you're confusing the expression of romanticism with the mere softness of words, though for some, they tend to be the same, there's a considerable difference."
She felt Hiro shrug his shoulders, "I guess, I don't know much about that topic so I just thought of the first thing that came to mind."
"Sometimes you just need to put a bit of your feelings into your words for them to reach the other person's soul. I thought by now you'd understand that, considering the way you accepted me as your friend" Makima could still remember the flood of emotions that overflowed that day in this very library four years ago.
Four years... Time flew by.
"That day I just said what I felt, although at that time I don't know if it was because of the intensity of the moment, but it felt very easy to express myself."
Makima had an affectionate smile "It also depends on how motivated you are at that moment. I always find a huge source of motivation every time I see you, and that also helps me to dedicate several hours of my thoughts to you."
Okay... Maybe that was a bit deeper than both of them expected, but for Makima it was just as she said, her lips would always move on their own whenever she wanted to express her thoughts to Hiro, at least most of the time.
But for Hiro, it felt different. His heart skipped a beat at Makima's words, and his cheeks flushed. Thankfully, she couldn't see him at that moment.
"I-I see..." His situation wasn't so different from hers, in fact, he had her on his mind from day one. He still remembered storming off to his room in anger after Kishibe forbid him from getting close to Makima again for his own good; he had never felt so much annoyance for him until that day.
But here he was, being petted on the head by the control devil as he peacefully rested his head on her chest.
Yes, life was good.
Long live the control devil, Kishibe is an idiot.
"Though..." Makima stopped moving her hands through his hair and slowly leaned closer to his ear, "I can speak to you in a softer and sweeter manner if that's what you wish," a daring smile formed on her lips for what she was about to do next...
Makima brought her lips to his cheek and planted a light kiss that lingered for a considerable amount of time, long enough for him to understand what was happening.
It was hard to say why she did it; it was one of those thoughts that wasn't easy to articulate properly, let alone express, but she wanted to do it after all. It was almost like a primal desire, one with which she hoped to survive from now on.
Moreover, she wanted him not to forget her throughout that week they couldn't see each other; no one could blame her for trying to be more affectionate with him whenever the moment allowed it, and it was always easier when no one else was around.
Besides, a simple kiss was insignificant...
They were... Right?
Makima would keep asking herself that question for quite some time since she wouldn't have anyone to answer it for her.
"Hiro?"
They're insignificant, right? They wouldn't do any harm, right?
"..."
Makima was very eager to know that answer; depending on the response, from now on she might greet Hiro in that way.
"Hiro!?" Makima said his name with concern.
If a simple kiss on the cheek was insignificant... Then why did Hiro faint?
0O0O
"Tch... Paperwork... I hate paperwork."
The director of the research and training center complained as she carried a considerable stack of documents in folders, ready to be secured in the most cursed and malevolent place there.
The library.
There were many crazy things stored there; some books were even from the Heian era with extremely delicate and difficult to understand content. Of course, for her, they were easy to decipher, but every day she hoped that the kid wouldn't get too smart and damage some of the best relics.
She had managed to hide the library's most ancient content from him, even if that meant hiding those same things from Makima so she wouldn't get too clever and show them to Hiro.
Those two... They were a headache.
Yuna had failed in one thing during these four years, no matter how much she tried to extend Makima's days of study and discipline so she wouldn't have time to be with Hiro, it seemed that nothing had changed at all, everything was still the same.
This only told her that it was all in vain.
She thought that if she made Makima not see the boy so often, then eventually she would lose interest in him and discard him as a fleeting moment of her existence. But it seemed she had underestimated the emotional extent that those two had created, one that was made with the intention of protecting the bond that united them.
A bond that Yuna couldn't understand because she never cared to create one.
She didn't mind living without friends, let alone without someone to love. From her perspective, everything was an obstacle that she had to avoid to get where she was today. And her effort bore fruit; she focused on nothing but her studies and research, discarding anything that would only be a burden.
In the end, time rewarded her; she was promoted to lead researcher and eventually to Director of this research center, and best of all was...
She didn't feel bad at all for not having anyone with her.
She didn't bother to find more meaning in this phenomenon; she was simply born this way... And she wanted to force Makima to be the same.
But she failed...
She felt concerned when she saw that there were no long-term results. Since the life of hunters is filled with almost certain doom, all those who had close connections among them lost their reason, but unfortunately, this did not always help them to be better at this job as it was for Kishibe and Quanxi. Some simply lost their reason for being, depending on how strong the bond was, the person would lose any reason to exist, their actions would no longer make sense or they would move in a confusing direction unable to get out of it.
Or in the worst case... It would cause more harm to the people around them, and without even caring, because what tied them to this world no longer existed.
That's why she was so worried, about what Makima could cause if Hiro...
It was better not to think about that possibility, Takahashi told her to give it a chance, she saw in him the opportunity to survive in this job in the long term but the possibility of a certain death was still present, there would have to be some large-scale event that would help confirm that the boy could stay alive either with his own abilities... Or with pure luck.
But if both things were failing... Then screw everything.
"That brat... He doesn't know it, but if he dies, he'll take us all down with him."
She felt that no matter how well she disciplined Makima, even if she spent hours and days studying by her side, the bond she had with Hiro would not break. Even if something bad happened between them that made it impossible for them to look each other in the eye, if somehow he ceased to exist... then they would be forced to kill Makima for a third time.
They were not going to skimp on risks.
"Damn kid, you just came to ruin everything," Yuna cursed out loud but composed herself when she reached the library doors.
Upon opening them, she unexpectedly encountered a new and interesting scene, something that had become rare because now only Takahashi spent more time in this place than anyone else.
Makima was sitting quietly in one of the chairs reading a book, nothing out of the ordinary, all within normal expectations.
It would have been a normal scene... Had it not been for Hiro Takahashi lying on the table with several books around him and one serving as an improvised pillow. His hands were on his chest as if he were a corpse in a coffin, his eyes completely closed.
If it weren't for the constant movement of his chest caused by his breathing, she would have truly thought the boy was already dead. For a moment, she was ready to pop the champagne and celebrate.
Makima and Yuna shared a look, both glancing at Hiro now and then.
Yuna raised an eyebrow, "Did you finally take my advice and use his body for a ritual?"
Makima shook her head, "No, he just lost consciousness."
Now she was more interested, "Why?"
"He..." Makima looked at Hiro for a moment, "Read too much."
For the control devil, lying was as easy as breathing.
For some reason, that sounded quite convincing. She knew Takahashi didn't enjoy reading nearly as much as she and Makima did. How mediocre.
"Tch, when he wakes up tell him it's time for him to leave, I can't wait to have a whole week without his presence here," with that said, she went deeper into the library.
Makima thought differently.
She looked at Hiro with intrigue, wondering when he would deign to wake up.
Should she ask her master if kisses on the cheek were insignificant to humans, or if they carried even more weight than she could imagine?
"Oh, for the love of— that kid messed up all the shelves again!" she heard her complaining about some potential mess Hiro made.
...Maybe not.
0O0O
Shortly after, Hiro was ready to leave, though he felt truly lost and had no sense of time.
"Are you feeling okay?"
"I think so" Hiro massaged his temple. "What happened?"
"Don't you remember anything?" Makima tilted her head.
"The last thing I remember was that I was hugging you. What happened after that?" Everything was very blurry after that.
"I..." she tried to tell him the truth but gradually all the confidence she had gathered in herself to give him that kiss on the cheek had vanished, being replaced by embarrassment "... You fell from the chair."
"Really?"
"Really" she affirmed in a tone she knew sounded convincing. "I moved away in time, my speed allowed me to avoid an accident like yours."
"And you didn't have time to prevent me from falling?" Hiro raised an eyebrow.
"... No" she lied again, her gaze betrayed no emotion, but that only made Hiro start to suspect, he already knew how she worked.
"Hmm..."
"..." Makima just smiled.
"... Okay, I'll believe you... For now." He wasn't foolish enough to not know when he was being lied to, especially when it came to Makima.
"I have to go" Hiro announced, now heading towards the exit.
"I guess this is goodbye then" Makima was by his side accompanying him to the exit, her gaze telling him she was anything but pleased with the idea of him leaving for a week.
Hiro rolled his eyes "Don't say it as if it's forever, it's just a see you soon."
"It doesn't make me feel any better."
Hiro was already opening the doors when he remembered something important. "Oh right, Kishibe told me that after I return from my trip, we would start with the real training."
That set off a small alarm in Makima's mind. "Does that mean he will finally teach you how to fight?"
"Yes!" he replied excitedly. "That way we can start training together, what do you think?"
His enthusiasm caught her by surprise, but a warm smile graced her face after a while, when the idea of having Hiro by her side while training made her happy and equally excited.
It also relaxed her, in this way Hiro could become more resilient and avoid more accidents. Maybe one of these days she should consider testing his strength in a combat to see just how far he could go.
"I-"
"I think you like to think about things that aren't going to happen" Makima was interrupted by Dr. Yuna's voice, she was at a considerable distance from them but could still hear them.
Hiro hadn't even realized she had been there all this time, which was unsettling. "How long have you been standing there?"
"That's none of your business" she replied dryly.
"Uh, well... What I meant was, now that Kishibe will finally deign to train me properly, Makima and I could spend more time together as friends" he laughed nervously.
"Friends my ass..." Yuna muttered disbelievingly, but the only one who heard her was Makima, whose hearing was much sharper after all. "Makima will also be too busy to see you, besides, I thought I had already told you on the first day, this isn't like a walk in the park, stop thinking this will be easy for you."
Hiro sighed, thinking perhaps the day would never come when he would get along with Dr. Yuna. "You really like to believe you know what others are thinking..."
"What did you say!?"
Hiro panicked, "Nothing, well, Makima, I say goodbye, see you next week!" He gave her a quick farewell hug, which she barely managed to cling to before he ran off through the door hastily.
Makima barely paid attention to Dr. Yuna's grumbling, she was more occupied thinking about everything that happened today; on one hand, it was a pity Hiro didn't remember that little kiss, she thought maybe it would help him keep her more in his mind while he was in Hiroshima.
She saw that in a movie, well, in several to be precise; some women would give men a kiss on the cheek with the excuse that this way they would never forget them.
That's what Makima wanted, although she had no doubts about the affection Hiro had for her, it didn't hurt to tease him a bit with her antics if that meant giving him an excuse to return to her sooner.
On the other hand, even though he probably wouldn't remember anything that was said towards the end, that didn't mean she was going to forget it.
She was more than willing to speak to him in that softer, sweeter manner if it meant eliciting more funny and cute reactions from him; just thinking about all the possibilities made her smile.
Damn it... Hiro hadn't even fully left yet and she was already eager to see him again.
Makima would have to read more books on romance if she wanted to continue having fun with him, it would be worth it... After all...
... With each passing day, Hiro Takahashi was becoming a spectacle to behold, one she couldn't help but give more than just a glance.
(Note: Did you really think Hiro was going to be Makima's simp? Well, you're mistaken, Makima is going to be Hiro's simp... Or maybe she already is.)
0O0O
November 18, 1984.
What the hell happened yesterday?
That was the question on Hiro's mind when he woke up that morning, with the sun already fully set over the city of Tokyo and the sound of people and cars starting to swell as the minutes went by. Although it wasn't too early, for Hiro it felt as if the world was against him, forcing him to wake up at an absurdly inconvenient time when he hadn't gotten enough sleep.
Even though it was 8:30, it felt to him like waking up at 4 AM. His insomnia sometimes led him to think in absurd ways.
But getting back to his earlier problem, Hiro continued to doubt the truthfulness of the events explained by Makima regarding what happened yesterday at the library. Maybe it was just his instinct, but something inside him was saying she was lying, or not telling him the whole truth... He could attribute this skill to all the years he has spent with her.
It didn't help that his left cheek felt strangely warm when he woke up, which was odd.
But he didn't dwell on it.
Maybe it was better not to think about it now, although he liked thinking about Makima, it was also detrimental as it didn't help him concentrate at all.
Perhaps it was better not to think about it now, although he liked thinking about Makima, it was also detrimental as it didn't help him concentrate at all.
"Are you sure you have everything essential?" Quanxi asked, looking at him through the car's rearview mirror.
She and Kishibe were wearing their usual hunter outfits, while Hiro only needed to wear his predetermined school uniform.
Hiro sighed, "Yes, Aunt Quanxi, I checked everything three times last night and before we left."
"Your toothbrush?"
"Check"
"Emergency underwear," Kishibe also asked. He was driving as usual
"Check as well" Hiro replied firmly.
"And what about your mask to avoid radiation?"
Hiro shuddered, "What!? Is there still radiation in Hiroshima!?"
Kishibe shrugged, "Who knows, the government always likes to hide some data...
Hiro swallowed hard as he shook his head, "I... I think I'll be fine, don't worry about me, unlike you, I know how to behave."
Quanxi chuckled under her breath "I guess he has a point."
"Just wait until you have to start paying taxes," Kishibe said as he spotted Hiro's school.
A few minutes later, they found a place to park. When Hiro got out of the car, he noticed a bus parked at the school entrance with enough capacity for an entire eighth-grade class.
Well, here began his vacation, only to immediately return to studies when they came back from the trip. On the other hand, when this was over, they would all be in a holiday atmosphere, as December was near. And eventually, it would be New Year's.
But that wasn't the best part. When all this was over, Kishibe would finally start training him, and the excitement was such that he tried to rush out of the car.
Hiro had a wheeled suitcase in his left hand and a backpack on his right shoulder. "See you, remember to pick me up at the same time next Sunday" he reminded Kishibe once he was finally outside.
"Remember to wash the dishes after eating, I don't want to come back and find a mountain of dirty dishes" Hiro frowned, knowing how irresponsible he could be in that aspect.
"Sure Dad" Kishibe teased, rolling his eyes. He thought Hiro couldn't help but see him as an irresponsible child sometimes.
But no one in their damn life would like to wash pots. He could handle the dishes... But not the pots.
Quanxi gave him a reassuring look, "I'll keep an eye on him, you go have fun, okay?" Quanxi waved goodbye, "Make the most of it, things will start to get uglier when you return." For a brief moment, Quanxi's gaze turned deadly serious.
Hiro blinked a few times before smiling, "I will! I hope he keeps his promise, or else... I'll hit him in the balls again!" Hiro half-threatened, half-laughed.
Kishibe felt his legs contract in an act of pure human and male survival, "...Just get out of here kid."
Hiro began walking towards the school, his teacher and the rest of the classmates were still in the classroom, they had to make sure no student was missing before they left.
"See you!" Hiro said goodbye again with a smile, Kishibe and Quanxi quickly waved back before starting the car and beginning their hours of duty.
The teacher gave Hiro an analytical look when he finally arrived in the classroom, "So you did make it early after all, you make me proud young Hiro."
Hiro scratched his head with a nervous smile, apparently, even his teacher didn't have faith that he would wake up early today, it was fair, "I did what I could."
"Go to your seat for now, the bus will leave at 10, but I still need to check if all my dear students are here."
Hiro obeyed and made his way to his designated seat, Kenji was already there... with a damn suitcase as big as him.
He was astonished by the exaggerated size of his friend's suitcase, "W-where did you get that?"
Kenji shrugged, "You never know what you might need on these kinds of trips, I'm just bringing the essentials."
Hiro took a closer look at his suitcase, it looked like it was about to burst at any moment, "And by essentials, you mean...?"
Kenji smiled "Half of my manga collection!" he said proudly.
...Well, at least they were going to get a bit more training.
"And I brought some romance ones for you to read, I picked them out especially for you."
Oh crap.
0O0O
That very morning, Makima was outside the research center building, sitting on the entrance steps with a relaxed mind while waiting for Dr. Yuna. Today was a very important day, or so Dr. Yuna had told her. Although Makima could have different concepts of what 'important' meant, for ordinary humans, the great leaders who were in charge of governing the country were of utmost importance for the maintenance of current society.
That's why this meeting was important for Dr. Yuna, and even more so for her specifically.
Because today, Makima would meet the Prime Minister in person.
Even though she wasn't too excited, she wouldn't object either; perhaps in the long run, this meeting would yield some benefit that she could take advantage of, she just didn't know what yet.
For her, there were things and people more important in this world, one of whom was getting ready to go on a trip for an entire week.
The other was in the deepest depths of hell.
She doubted whether she could really benefit from something like this; if she was honest with herself once more, the idea of meeting the high command wasn't that exciting, or she couldn't see the point. They already knew of her existence, so there was no reason for formal introductions, or perhaps they wanted to achieve something more with her?
Did they want her to swear loyalty? How annoying.
Makima closed her eyes while continuing to wait for her teacher, the morning felt very slow today...
...
...
...
Perhaps it was just her intuition and the fact that she had a better sense of the environment, but...
...
...
...
There was a strange feeling of restlessness in the air.
...
...
...
...
Something was not right.
0O0O
9:50 AM.
10 minutes before the bus was set to depart, all the students were in their seats, excitedly waiting for the trip to Hiroshima to finally begin.
Hiro was sitting at the back, in one of the last seats, Kenji and he would keep each other company for the rest of the journey.
"Alright, boys and girls, I hope you've packed everything necessary for today, we won't stop for breakfast so I hope you've eaten before coming here. However, we will have lunch at the hotel where you'll be staying" everyone cheered at that.
"The overhead bins are above the seats, to avoid any inconvenience please put your suitcases there."
Hiro had already placed his there beforehand, he leaned back in his seat, "Guess that's everything for now, this is going to be a long trip" he sighed.
"Look on the bright side, we don't always get the chance to go on a trip during the year, let alone with the school" said Kenji, who also settled into the seat they were sharing.
Hiro looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Kenji, you're rich, you can go on a trip whenever you want."
"Well, that's true" he now seemed somewhat sheepish, "But it's hard to find a good time when mom and dad are working all the time."
Hiro was about to say something else, but they heard a slight commotion and laughter coming from the front of the bus.
"Hahaha, look at that, some idiot left a huge suitcase at the school entrance," they heard one of their classmates laugh.
Kenji perked up at that, "Really? Let me see," he moved closer to the right windows to join in the laughter.
It was true, there was a large-sized suitcase left as if it were nothing at the entrance of the school, "Hahahaha, what kind of idiot would leave their suitcase there-, wait a second." Kenji squinted his eyes, "THAT'S MY SUITCASE!"
Kenji rushed out of the bus, even leaving a gust of wind in his wake, behind him the rest of the class laughed at his stupidity and carelessness. The teacher pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Inoue..."
Everyone could see Kenji struggling to move his suitcase, but he seemed to have serious trouble moving it even an inch, let alone trying to carry it.
"Uuuf uuf, I think I now understand the frustration of characters who only serve as comic relief in TV shows..." Kenji tried using his shoulder to push it but it was futile.
"I guess I shouldn't have brought the gold-plated unlimited Akira collection... HIRO! HELP ME, WILL YOU!?" Kenji called out to his best friend, maybe together they could manage to move it.
Or maybe both would end up looking foolish trying to move this monstrosity.
The rest of the class watching from the window turned their heads to the right, expectantly looking at Hiro, who at some point also approached to see how Kenji was trying to regain his dignity by moving his enormous suitcase by himself. They wondered what he would do, would he help him or would he also laugh at him?
Hiro did both.
"Pffft, okay" Hiro walked down the small aisle of the bus, passing the teacher.
"Hurry up you two, we have to leave in five minutes" she reminded them, tapping her watch on her wrist.
0O0O
9:55 AM.
"So, do you already have a plan to start his training?" Quanxi asked Kishibe as they both walked down the street at a leisurely pace, having left the car behind for normal patrol duties.
"Sort of," Kishibe admitted, touching the back of his neck. "It's the first time I'll be training someone in my life, so I have my doubts about how best to start. It doesn't help that I never had a personal teacher myself."
"How about... with knives? It might be good to teach him how to defend himself with bladed weapons first," Quanxi suggested.
Kishibe scratched his chin. "I considered that, but I thought before he got the chance to touch any weapon, it would be a good idea to train his body and make him more agile."
Quanxi thought it was a good idea. Mastering a weapon like a sword or knives while having a fast and agile body made you a lethal opponent that no enemy would see coming.
"Then let's do both at the same time. We'll teach him to fight and to use weapons simultaneously. It might push him to his limits, but he'll surely be okay."
Kishibe looked at her, amused. "I have a feeling you'll be the one enjoying this more than him."
Quanxi just smiled.
9:57 AM.
"Let's take the subway; I'm too lazy to walk that much," Kishibe suggested as they approached the station, with people going up and down in equal measure.
Quanxi gave him a blank look. "Sometimes I wonder if you really are Japan's strongest demon hunter."
Kishibe couldn't give her an answer when one of his demons chose that moment to speak in his mind and start a conversation with the rest.
"Something is wrong..."
Kishibe felt a shiver run through him.
"The world... feels strange."
It was as if the air was imbued with a malevolent and lurking aura, warning everyone to be cautious about what might happen.
"...It's like... something bad is about to happen."
9:58 AM.
It was at that moment that Kishibe's own instincts told him...
Something was not right.
0O0O
9:59 AM.
Hiro approached Kenji with an amused look, "Need some help?"
Kenji had a pitiful expression, "If it's not too much trouble, good samaritan."
Hiro shook his head, "How could you leave it here?" he asked, baffled at how Kenji could forget something so conspicuous and heavy.
"I guess it was when we were lining up to get in order... I got distracted and left it aside by mistake."
"You're so forgetful," Hiro was already by his side to help, just hoping their classmates weren't mean enough to steal their seats while they were away. "Next time, bring something less heavy."
0O0O
9:59 AM.
"Alright, Makima, it's time to go" Yuna stepped out of the building, looking completely ready for this meeting. It was a special occasion, so she had to be as professional as possible.
"Makima?" Yuna glanced around and realized that Makima was a bit further away from where she had told her to wait. Instead of sitting on the entrance steps, she was almost statically standing in the middle of the parking lot.
She was looking up at the sky; from her position, Yuna couldn't see her face, but something told her that she wasn't okay, that something was bothering her. Years of studying the control devil helped her to recognize some underlying signals about what she was feeling at that moment.
And if she had to bet on guessing what she was feeling right now, it would be... Unease.
Before she could call out to her again, she saw a huge flock of crows coming from the horizon... Except they flew straight through Makima... She wasn't controlling them, so...?
It wasn't just that, various birds of different species that inhabited the nearby trees started to emerge from the branches and flew away hastily from that place. An entire flock of various bird species began to fly away in terror; it was astonishing... But not a good sign.
That was a bad omen...
That's when Yuna felt it too... Something was wrong.
The atmosphere felt deadly; it made her breathing feel heavy and her skin crawl.
Makima finally turned to look at her, and Yuna saw something she never thought she'd see in the eyes of the control devil, which made her own heart feel fear.
Panic... That was the only thing reflected in her eyes.
"Take cover"
0O0O
Hiro hadn't even given the suitcase the first push when he noticed something very strange and disturbing.
All his classmates, except for him and Kenji, were supposed to be inside the bus by now. Moreover, there were no civilian residences nearby; the school was surrounded only by office buildings and other types.
Then...
Then...
Then why was there a girl behind the bus?
Hiro's eyes caught a girl, probably his own age, standing at the back of the bus, wearing a charming and mysterious smile. She was dressed in a simple white dress with black boots that reached her knees, her hair was blonde and completely loose, and her eyes were an emerald green.
But there was no life in those eyes, Hiro could tell at a glance.
Who was she?
And why was she looking directly at him, never ceasing to smile?
The girl lifted her right hand and waved it from left to right in a slow greeting... Her eyes seemed to peer into his soul, and her smile only grew wider.
Hiro could only stare frozen in place, not knowing what to do, as she sent chills down his spine and an inexplicable terror that made his breathing feel labored.
Something was wrong.
Something was wrong with that girl.
She finally deigned to speak, still not lowering her arm.
"Good luck from here on out!" Her voice was sing-song at first, and her smile was as bright as the sun.
But just for a second... Hiro noticed that smile fill with the purest of malice.
And it was then that the world acquired a new scar.
10:00 AM.
It was as if the world around Hiro was moving in slow motion, he felt a massive gust of wind hit his face, which sent him and Kenji flying through the air. His ears filled with the subtle sound of several bullets traveling at thousands of kilometers per hour very close to him, along with a huge roar that came afterward and nearly burst his eardrums.
He felt his body slam against one of the entrance walls, his back and head hitting the wall hard enough to blur his consciousness, Kenji suffered the same fate as him.
But what came next would never leave his mind.
The bus was thrown into the air as if it were a tent caught in a strong wind, not before shattering into several pieces that joined the rubble of various surrounding buildings that suffered the same fate.
Hiro knew instantly.
His entire class was dead.
And he would be too, shortly.
When Hiro's body hit the ground, all he could hear was a buzzing that filled his ears, his body was in pain and begging him to lose consciousness once and for all. He couldn't see anything due to all the dust that had gathered around him...
It was a disaster... A disaster that the world and his mind gave him the opportunity to witness in just a few seconds.
When everything returned to normal... Hiro could no longer see or feel anything.
0O0O
Kishibe had only taken a step towards the underground when suddenly...
"TAKE COVER!"
"TAKE COVER!"
"TAKE COVER!"
Kishibe only had time to grab the first person who came to mind and protect her with his life; he took Quanxi in his arms and before she could say anything, he lunged towards the subway stairs, using his body to cushion the fall.
When they both reached the bottom of the stairs, that's when gusts of wind laden with dust made their way into the station, the roar and the sound of bullets along with the sound of the city's destruction reached both of their ears.
Kishibe and Quanxi could only think of one thing at that moment...
What happened to Hiro?
0O0O
Yuna's body flew through the glass doors, the enormous gust sending her flying without warning, causing her to lose consciousness in the process. The rest of the building's windows started to shatter simultaneously, causing thousands of pieces of broken glass to fall to the ground like a kind of dangerous rain.
Makima was only able to remain standing thanks to a chain she generated from the palm of her hand, which she forcefully drove into the concrete. Her ears did not deceive her; she could hear several, if not millions of bullets traveling at speeds so exaggerated it was as if each one was breaking the sound barrier. Her eyes helped her to see through the gloom caused by the dust and destruction, she noticed how the bullets destroyed everything in their path, the concrete of the buildings was penetrated with ease, destroying them in a matter of seconds.
Such a spectacle was astonishing and at the same time terrifying for its destructiveness. She knew very well that this could only be the work of some devil, that or the third world war had finally started and nobody had realized it.
Makima clung to the chain for a few more minutes before everything fell silent once again, leaving nothing but destruction around her. In the distance, the sound of some buildings still collapsing could be heard along with the screams of humans, some crying for help and others in pain.
But Makima ignored all that, she didn't care about anyone else at all.
With one exception...
Makima's face remained in shock as her mind formulated a question so terrifying and yet hopeful depending on the answer.
During all those minutes when the world was engulfed by a large-scale attack capable of destroying entire civilizations...
What happened to Hiro?
0O0O
Notes:
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...
...
This wasn't supposed to happen.
This chapter wasn't meant to be this long.
I... I don't know what to say. I really am sorry, but I've said this so many times it doesn't even make sense anymore.
Initially, I thought that since this chapter was going to be linked to the previous one, given the original idea was for chapters 25 and 26 to be a single unit, this one wouldn't be as long. I figured it would be around 5k words, but before I knew it, I had written more than double that.
It's a very strange phenomenon for writers, or at least for me, when I have the concept of a chapter, I always believe it can be covered in a certain number of words, but in the end, it turns out to be very different from what was first thought.
Maybe it was because I went overboard with the scene between Hiro and Makima, but I felt like you all needed a dose of them both, or am I wrong?
And do I regret the cheek kiss scene?
Did I go too far? Maybe yes, but do I regret it? I don't think so. Anyway, I made up that Hiro fainted so he would forget everything and that Makima is still not sure what the heck romantic love is.
So everything is under control for now.
What did you think?
10/10 or zzz?
Leave your opinion in the comments; it helps me know what the heck you all like so I can keep doing it and innovate.
The gun devil finally made its appearance. What the hell is going to happen to Hiro's life from now on?
I wonder if any of you guessed how Hiro would be traumatized by the gun devil's attack. In the end, it happened as he watched all his classmates die in an instant right before his eyes.
You see guys? That's how you avoid going to school for two whole years, haha.
We should recreate it one of these days.
There are still more questions that will only be answered later on, but one that many of you must be wondering right now has to be...
... Why does Naruto Shippuden have so much filler?
At least, that's the question I'm asking myself.
I finally managed to buy a premium Crunchyroll account and could continue from where I left off with Naruto Shippuden. I was at episode 272, and now I'm at 373. The war arc has its ups and downs, but I still need to finish it to give a more concrete opinion.
And yes, I'm skipping all the filler; otherwise, I'll never finish it.
And yes, I already know how Naruto Shippuden ends... Why did they have to introduce aliens, damn it?
I know Madara was overpowered, but come on.
I hope you enjoyed this 12k word chapter, at least leave your vote, don't mess around; it did take me a while to finish.
With this chapter, we finally reached 40k views, becoming more famous by the day.
I was Abusamadres, and see you next time.