Chapter 11: Children are a Nuisance.

The longer he spent in that elevator, the more he felt the tension and discomfort increase. He was trying to formulate an explanation, a response that would explain why he had done what he did, but he thought that anything he might say could be used against him.

He had been so foolish, he knew, but at the same time, he thought he had done the right thing by deciding to go with Makima to the library. One would never know what she might have done had he refused, but he was starting to believe that it probably wouldn't have been so bad.

Did he regret it? A little. On one hand, he didn't risk tempting fate and denying the invitation of that girl with yellow eyes, and in the process, he gained a very strange friend. But on the other hand, he regretted it because he was afraid of what Kishibe might say for having disobeyed his orders and taken such a high risk.

Was he angry with him? It was very likely, but at least he hoped that he would understand his reasons. What would he have done in his place? The scene he had witnessed a few minutes ago was unique because he had never seen Kishibe with that level of alertness and with such ferocity in his eyes, along with a killer instinct that was becoming much larger.

He and Makima seemed at that moment like two wild animals ready to attack each other. Kishibe had been looking at Makima with murderous eyes all along; he identified her immediately as a danger, or maybe something that goes far beyond that word because if Kishibe reacted that way... Then it was because there was something very dark in all this.

Then he realized that Kishibe, in his place, would not have hesitated to kill Makima, the thought made his stomach churn with nausea.

"This is worrying me too much."

"You, worried about something? You usually seem carefree."

"Something only worries me when I feel it has gone beyond my understanding."

"Do you mean the fact that neither of us could detect that girl? To be honest, it also has me puzzled... And a bit scared.

"Although, it still amazes me that this kid is still alive. What the hell did they talk about, and why isn't this kid in a body bag?"

"Maybe they talked about the weather?"

"Whatever they talked about, it doesn't matter anymore. We must be more vigilant next time; times are changing, and with them, the devils"

Kishibe was disappointed.

But disappointed by the ineffective use of his hunting skills. He had been caught off guard and mocked as they stealthily took Hiro away, all without his knowledge. He had been a fool, allowing Hiro to take a great risk by leaving him alone in that corridor; in just a few minutes, they had taken him away, and he didn't know until they brought him back.

They easily breached his barrier, and Makima took Hiro to who knows where. They basically took him by the hand and led him away.

All of this was worrying him too much because he couldn't understand how the control demon managed to get close to him without him sensing it; his instincts had failed him... but his instincts were supposed to never fail.

How did it happen?

Not knowing the answer was scaring him because he believed his skills were getting rusty or that for once, they were ineffective against a devil, but that couldn't be it since he had seen 60-year-old hunters fight as if they were 20.

So, had Makima become much more skilled? This was what worried him the most, the fact that Makima had managed to surpass him terrified him greatly, because he would not be able to defend himself and protect those he cares about.

Kishibe shook his head in denial; no, it couldn't be that, Makima was just a child, she was the control devil but weaker, she didn't even have her memories to know how to use the rest of her abilities. So she was still weaker, for now; but he still hadn't found the answer to his previous question. Not even his devils managed to detect her somehow, and they were supposed to be able to sniff out and sense her presence because she was also a devil.

It made no sense, none of what was happening made any damn sense. He was frustrated by not having a concise answer, if he asked Hiro, he wouldn't know much about how Makima managed to reach him. But it wouldn't hurt to hear his version of the story.

"Tell me how it happened."

Hiro lifted his head to meet the stern gaze of his guardian, his cold eyes said it all, he wanted a clear answer to his actions from before. His heart began to beat with anxiety, and his mind started to recall everything that happened in that hour, from the moment Makima sat next to him to that hug they shared.

So Hiro tried to tell him everything...

"...And I just felt strange, when I looked into her eyes I felt like I had to follow her. Then she took my hand and led me to the elevator."

Kishibe frowned, displeased by the notion that Makima probably used her powers on Hiro, though he found it unlikely because even Yuna had said that she hadn't unlocked her memories, and therefore the rest of her powers. But there was also the possibility that this was an automatic power; she was born with that power and could apply it whenever she wanted because she is the control devil, her name said it all. So Makima might not have her past memories but still have her power to control people, and used that to her advantage to take Hiro away.

There was also the slight possibility that Makima didn't know how to use it and that it had activated unconsciously.

Then Hiro proceeded to tell him everything that happened in the library.

"...She asked me if we were friends, I told her yes, then she smiled and all. But then she started crying, she told me she didn't know how it felt, what it felt like to have a family, someone special, a friend. I felt really bad for her and the only thing I could think of to calm her down was to give her a hug, that seemed to calm her because she hugged me back, I think we stayed like that for a few minutes until I told her I had to go home, and in the end, we went down the elevator and you know the rest."

Hiro finished telling his story, feeling a bit tired after recounting and remembering all those events. Today was definitely a day to remember.

"But...what...the hell?"

"Now...that makes a lot of sense, explains why that kid is still alive. This is something to think about all day."

"Wow, it seems our little control devil got quite sentimental there, huh? As weird and funny as it is, I can't stop being amazed by this turn of events, all of this is so unique."

Kishibe had lost count of the times he might have fainted; what Hiro told him was undoubtedly incredible, weird, extreme, spooky, but more than anything, fascinating.

The control devil had shown a side unlike any he had seen before, or in this case, heard about, since it was Hiro who witnessed it firsthand and even interacted with it more than he could have imagined.

He didn't know what to think about Makima now; she was a devil and would never cease to be one, but if everything Hiro told him was true, then Makima might have developed human feelings... If she hadn't had them for a long time already, but had repressed them or never bothered to show them.

The fact that someone like her, a devil, an aberrant, terrifying, and cruel being, would want to create a family was strange, anticlimactic, and utterly nonsensical.

That devil had terrorized human villages for thousands of years, but to come and be told that now she wants a family seemed utterly foolish. More like a joke between good and bad.

Makima is and will be a being of darkness; everything she does or will do will only be for her own benefit, he knew it for certain. It was so in the past and will be in the future, a wheel that spins and spins without end, trapped in demonic cruelty.

Kishibe rubbed his forehead in an attempt to soothe the migraine that was creeping up on him, everything that had happened today was a major annoyance: Yuna confirming that the control devil was in these facilities, uncovering the hybrids' plan, Hiro slipping away to join Makima. Without a doubt, all of this deserved an appointment with a bottle of alcohol.

"Did she tell you anything else?" Kishibe asked.

Hiro remained silent, thinking of a response, sifting through his memories for something notable that Makima had said during their conversations. Then something came to mind.

"Well... She told me that she could only form bonds through fear, does that help? And what does she mean by that?"

Kishibe's eyes widened slightly in surprise, he hadn't expected that at all. If Makima told Hiro that she could only form friendships through fear, then this gave more sense to all the atrocities she had committed a long time ago. Being a devil, she wouldn't know how to connect with someone, so she used fear to reach people, but apparently, that didn't work out well.

However, there were still things he didn't like about all this, the control devil MIGHT genuinely want a family, her feelings could perhaps be genuine... But she was still a being twisted in evil. That devil had committed atrocities that went beyond just wanting the company of someone else, she was malevolent by nature... And she always would be, he was sure of that.

Regardless of her human desires, it didn't excuse all the evil she had caused, that was something Hiro couldn't understand. Kishibe was imagining the future right now, he was certain that Hiro wouldn't grasp that Makima, despite wanting a family, would always be a being of pure evil, it's in her nature because she is a devil that turns everything she touches to ruins.

Hiro wouldn't understand because he hadn't lived what others had, he hadn't seen all the evil that a demon of great power can cause. So in conclusion, Makima... No, the control devil might have a desire for love, to want someone by her side, whether as a friend, a father, a mother, a brother or sister, or even a lover; but she was also an abominable entity that only wants her own benefit without the slightest care for the rest of the people she used to achieve her goal.

This was now the new vision that Kishibe had of the control devil, only adding those feelings Hiro told him about, but the last part had always been in his mind since the day he heard of her.

"Do you know what Makima is?" Hiro suddenly asked, he had been waiting for that question but didn't know how to answer it.

Kishibe looked at the boy with a blank face, but Hiro had an expression that was hard to describe, caught between determination to uncover the truth and curiosity to know it.

"That... I'll tell you another day," he saw Hiro frown, showing his dissatisfaction with the response, "Right now, I need some alcohol."

"She's a devil isn't she?" Hiro said, catching Kishibe off guard. He looked at him, surprised, and knew Hiro had hit the nail on the head. He had been thinking it for a while but wanted to confirm it with someone who knew more about the subject.

"Have I ever told you that your sense of intuition is kind of scary?" Kishibe asked rhetorically. He wasn't going to tell him anything, at least not for now. He wasn't going to confirm it but also wasn't going to deny it; this was a topic for another day.

"So it's true, Makima is a devil" Hiro thought that after discovering what Makima truly was, his thoughts about her would probably change, but after finding out... he really didn't feel different. She was a devil, but... did it not matter to him? He felt that even though she was something that had been synonymous with his nightmares for a long time, it didn't scare him in the slightest. Why was that?

Was it because she showed him a different side that he never thought he'd see in a devil? This only led him toward another feeling, the desire to see her again.

"Let me tell you something, kid" Kishibe said with an authoritative voice, and Hiro felt an incredible need to straighten up, "For your own good, don't get close to that girl again."

Hiro's eyes widened in shock and fear, his heart beating in terror again, but what terrified him was the thought of not being able to see Makima again. Why? He didn't fully understand it, but he was sure he wanted to see her again.

"What!? No! I-I don't want to do that" Hiro confronted Kishibe, his eyes easily showing the fear of what he was being forbidden, and his tenacity not to give in.

"Believe me kid, that girl is something much worse than you can imagine, she's not someone you should be alone with for long. So take my advice and don't go near that girl again, okay?" Kishibe wasn't in the mood to deal with a child's tantrum but was sure Hiro wouldn't let this go easily.

"No! Makima, she- I told her we were friends, she's suffering, I can feel it!" Hiro felt that if he distanced himself from Makima, the moment they shared would mean nothing afterward. Why would he have told her they were friends if it wasn't to be there for her?

"I don't want to stop seeing her, I have to come back here another day and meet with her, there's so much more I want to know and I feel like only she can answer what I want! Kishibe, please don't do this to me!"

"NO!" Kishibe yelled sharply and firmly, showing that his patience had its limits. Hiro had to understand there were things he couldn't do, and it was crucial to emphasize this. "Understand once and for all that you cannot get close to that girl again in your life, if you don't want to end up dead before achieving your dream then you better listen to me!"

That silenced all of Hiro's future complaints. He just looked at Kishibe with a shocked and incredulous face, the corners of his eyes beginning to form small traces of tears he refused to shed.

He looked down, unwilling to believe his reality and feeling powerless to do anything about it. He didn't like this, not at all. His fists clenched so tightly that his hands turned white. Silence reigned in the elevator; neither wanted to talk or look each other in the eye, and Hiro had no desire to speak with Kishibe after his harsh outburst.

Kishibe heard a small cry escape from Hiro's throat and couldn't avoid feeling guilty. Sometimes he forgot that Hiro was still a child.

That was the most tense elevator ride they had ever had.

0O0O

Outside the facility, the sun was at its peak, filling everything with its bright light, birds soared through the skies, and cicadas made their characteristic ambient noise. The parking lot of the containment facility was beautiful, surrounded by trees with pink leaves; the sun's rays only made the Sakura trees look even more stunning.

A woman with an eye patch was leaning her back against one of the trees, the shade preventing the light from illuminating her beautiful face, which could barely be seen clearly from afar. She was near a car she knew very well, simply waiting for the owner to exit the facility she disliked stepping into. That's why Quanxi stayed outside in the parking lot, waiting for her foolish partner.

Her eye opened just in time to see Kishibe leaving the building, followed by a small thing trailing behind; with a hint of amusement and curiosity, she realized that thing was Hiro, the boy she considered somewhat of a nephew. Or someone to tease.

Hiro paused for a moment upon seeing Quanxi, however, Kishibe continued on his way to the car, indifferent to the woman's presence, something that surprised her. Normally, Kishibe would approach with intentions of flirting, but now he seemed to be a different person.

Hiro ran towards Quanxi and embraced her in a hug; she smiled gently with affection, rubbing his back. Hiro barely reached her stomach but had grown 4 or 5 centimeters taller since the first time she saw him.

"Hello, kid, I won't ask what you were doing in those facilities because the idiot Kishibe will tell me anyway. So, how have you been?" Quanxi asked, feeling Hiro's hug loosen a bit.

"Fine" Hiro murmured, and Quanxi barely heard him. She immediately knew something was wrong with him. Hiro let go of Quanxi and went to open the car door. Kishibe had already started the car and didn't bother to look when Hiro got into the back seat, signaling Quanxi to get in.

"Come on, it will be better if we talk at my apartment."

Quanxi sighed, feeling the annoying tension in the air. She got into the car in the passenger seat, and through the rearview mirror, she could see Hiro sitting with his seatbelt on but his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on the window.

All of this only fueled the hunter's curiosity even more.

0O0O

That was probably the most uncomfortable car ride Quanxi had ever been in. Neither the adult nor the child spoke the entire way. Their silence was different from Quanxi's usual reticence; theirs was charged with unspoken tensions.

As soon as they entered the apartment, Hiro sprinted to his room and slammed the door shut, causing a loud noise that echoed throughout the living space. That, to Quanxi, was a clear indication of the boy's anger, the reason for which she was yet to discover but was about to find out.

Kishibe and Quanxi removed their coats and hung them on the rack. Kishibe headed to the kitchen while Quanxi took a seat at the table, her gaze drifting towards Hiro's room, wondering what could possibly be going through the young would-be devil hunter's mind.

Kishibe returned a minute later with a bottle of alcohol and two glasses. "Believe me when I say we have a lot to discuss."

Quanxi, with her slightly more acute than human hearing, picked up on the faint sounds of sobbing coming from her nephew's room.

She sighed, knowing it was going to be a long evening. "I believe you."