Midnight Requiem: The fall of Harajuku - Chapter 2 and 3 (The end)

Takahiro also noticed the people... Kanzaki takes the flashlight out of his backpack. "Takahiro... Have you noticed it about Aoi...?" he asked. Takahiro looks at him. "What do you mean?" Takahiro asks, narrowing his eyes. Kanzaki sighs and puts the flashlight on. "She's watching us," Kanzaki answers. Takahiro looks up, just to see the dead bodies hanging there. "I feel like going back..." Takahiro says, trembling. Suddenly, ghosts appear around the trees... They looked exactly like her. "Hashiru... Takahiro..." Kanzaki says, unable to move his feet. Takahiro looks at him, fear in his eyes. The whispers began softly, weaving through the air like a sinister lullaby. "Fooooood... fooood... fooood..." The chilling voices overlapped, rising and falling like a macabre symphony. Each word carried a guttural, inhuman resonance that seemed to pierce Kanzaki's very soul. "Astaroth-sama will be pleased..." one voice hissed, cold and slithering. "No one... NO ONE can trespass..." another growled, its tone dripping with venom. "This is our territory... Ours to guard... ours to protect..." A deep voice said, which sounded even worse than the ones before. "And ours to destroy!" the final voice yelled, shrill and filled with unholy glee. The air grew heavier, suffocating Kanzaki as the voices became a cacophony of hatred. "Harajuku... shall FALL..." the deep voice said again. "You will DIE..." The words echoed around him, as if the forest itself had come alive, each tree and shadow conspiring against him. The whispers clawed at his mind, their venomous promise lingering long after they faded into the eerie silence. Kanzaki manages to move his feet and grab Takahiro's arm, not letting him go. He runs, avoiding the ghosts. "Damnit," Kanzaki grunts. Takahiro was scared, his body almost gave in but... Something about Kanzaki made him want to keep going. The way he avoided the ghost, while protecting Takahiro... He didn't leave him alone, just like Yami did...

Takahiro back then... It all happened on a rainy day. Even though everyone went to school in Shibuya. Takahiro used to walk with Yami, his bestfriend. (Yami, a 14-year-old boy, born in Shibuya on 5th of January. He has black hair that can go over his shoulders if combed, its usually in a bun, he has orange eyes. He likes doing sports and is a fan of action.) Yami had stopped playing with Takahiro after an argument caused by Yami's girlfriend. She accused Takahiro of breaking Yami's phone, and Yami, siding with her, distanced himself. Days later, shocking news spread... Yami had been killed. There were only three people in the house at the time; his mother, father, and girlfriend. Suspicion quickly fell on his father, as a bloodstained katana was found among the weapons in his room. Despite this, his mother claimed she had been asleep, and his girlfriend, Aoi, denied it, saying she wasn't in his room back then. Yet, the town convicted the father, who was executed for the crime. Yami's death devastated Takahiro, the loss striking him like a crushing weight. At the funeral, only two people attended; Takahiro and Aoi. As they stood in silence, Aoi suddenly started laughing, her voice chillingly unfamiliar. It wasn't the Aoi Takahiro knew... It was someone, or something else. She turned to him, smirking, and confessed her feelings, saying she had liked Takahiro, not Yami. Rage boiled over inside Takahiro. Unable to contain himself, he slapped her hard across the face, leaving her in tears. But her crying did nothing to quell his fury. The grief and betrayal consumed him, and for a moment, he came dangerously close to taking her life in his rage-fueled anguish over Yami's death.

"Why did you pull me if you could just run away alone...?" Takahiro asks. Kanzaki looks at him, frowning. Kanzaki: "Ha! As if you can actually move when you're scared" Takahiro bit his bottom lip, ashamed. Kanzaki doesn't let go of Takahiro, even though he was staying still. He pulls out his phone, taking a quick picture of the bodies hanging in the air. He sends it to Akira and puts his phone back in his pocket. If Akira was here... The words were just on his mind all the time. They were friends since grade 3... Akira usually hung out with boys, since she didn't like doing girly things. She was disliked by girls too, so she didn't care at all. He looks at Takahiro... "Are you not feeling well?" he asks as he sees him shivering. Takahiro points at a tree... Remi was there, her lifeless body hung on a branch. Takahiro falls on his knees, his hands in front of his face. "R-Remi..." he stutters. Kanzaki grits his teeth... He puts his hand on Takahiro's shoulder, trying to comfort him... But he can't. He doesn't know what to say. He's never really been one to comfort someone, especially a person he just met. He lost his sister... How much does that hurt... Because of The Yurei... Everything falls apart.

"I'm going back... I can't anymore," Takahiro mutters, his voice cracking as he wipes his tear-streaked face. He stands, his expression a tangled mix of exhaustion and regret. "Good luck, Kanzaki," he adds, pulling Kanzaki into a tight, desperate hug before stepping back. "You got this!" Takahiro shouts as he turns and trudges toward the forest's entrance, the faint glow of the path not far ahead. "Bye..." Kanzaki whispers, his voice barely audible as he watches Takahiro disappear into the shadows. His gaze shifts upward, drawn to the grim scene hanging above. Remi. She sways lifelessly from a branch, the rope cutting into her neck. Kanzaki clenches his fists, ignoring the burning pain in his hands. I can climb up and get her... maybe she's still alive, he thinks, the faint ember of determination flickering within him. He places his foot on the side of the tree, gripping its rough bark as he begins his ascent. I've done this before... with Akira. I can do it again, he mutters, inching higher and higher despite his trembling limbs and raw hands. When he finally reaches the branch, his breath comes in shallow gasps. With one hand gripping the branch tightly, he uses his other to cut the rope with the knife that was in his pocket. The tension snaps, and Remi's body plunges toward the ground. "Shit!" Kanzaki gasps, lunging to grab her sleeve. His fingers catch the fabric, but her weight drags him downward. His grip on the branch slips, bark scraping against his palms and leaving fresh cuts. "This is... so damn high!" he groans, his arms screaming in protest. His strength finally gives out. They both fall. Kanzaki twists mid-air, clutching Remi tightly to shield her as they crash to the forest floor. The impact sends a searing pain through his back, a scream ripping from his throat as the breath is knocked out of him. Nearby, his phone lies shattered on the grass, its screen reflecting the ominous red glow of the moon above.

Kanzaki falls asleep. A wolf approaches him. The beast tilts its head, looking at him with its deep blue eyes. It comes closer and looks at his back. The wolf turns him around and slowly puts his feet on Kanzaki's back. The wolf leans in with his face and closes its eyes. Blue aura surrounds the wolf's feet. Slowly, Kanzaki's bones reconnect, his back not hurting anymore. The wolf gets off Kanzaki and looks at him again. "Good luck..." the beast says. The wolf studies Remi and then nods. He puts Kanzaki back in place and runs away, leaving Kanzaki and Remi there... My head... It really hurts... I have to wake up and escape now... But I'm so damn tired... Kanzaki opens his eyes... To his surprise, Remi was not hurt.

Kanzaki groans, forcing his battered body to move. His trembling hands push Remi off him as gently as he can, wincing at every motion. Her face is terrifyingly pale, her body unnaturally still. He looks at his hands and freezes. The skin is gone. Torn. Blood leaks from the raw, exposed flesh, pooling around him in dark, sickening patches. He hisses in pain, instinctively pulling his mangled hands behind his back. If they touch the ground, the agony will only worsen. But his mind isn't on himself. "Remi..." he whispers. His throat tightens. Hesitation clings to him like a vice, but Kanzaki forces himself to reach for his phone. His fingers fumble at the cracked screen, managing to dial Akira's number. Suddenly, he feels it. A touch. His blood turns to ice as something cold wraps around his leg. His eyes snap downward, widening in horror. There she is. The Yurei. Her pale, skeletal hand grips his ankle, her long, jagged nails digging into his skin. Her hair, black as ink and dripping with unseen water, clings to her face. Through the curtain of matted strands, her milky white eyes glow faintly in the moonlight, brimming with malice. "Stop..." Kanzaki rasps, trying to pull back. But his legs won't move. They feel heavy, paralyzed under her icy grip. The call connects. "Kanzaki! Great news!" Akira's cheerful voice rings out, oblivious to the horror unfolding. "I'm at the entrance of Harajuku right now! Where are you?" His lips tremble as he tries to answer. "The... forest... Aki-" Before he can finish, the Yurei moves. Her skeletal fingers pluck the phone from his hands. Kanzaki watches in helpless terror as she lifts it to her cracked, blood-streaked lips. "Goodbye," she whispers into the receiver, her voice a distorted, guttural hiss. The line goes dead. Kanzaki's chest heaves as the Yurei drops the phone with deliberate, eerie slowness. Her hand tightens on his leg, the pressure excruciating. "Don't you dare go near her," he growls, his voice shaking as he glares at the Yurei. Her head tilts unnaturally to the side, the motion punctuated by a sickening crack. Her lips twist into a smile, revealing jagged teeth. "Fumiko... Gin is waiting," he says, grasping at anything to distract her. The smile fades. "Three..." Kanzaki's breath catches. Seizing the moment, he shoves her off with all his strength. Her grip loosens just enough for him to break free. Without looking back, he scrambles to his feet and runs, his battered body screaming in protest. The trees blur past him as he plunges deeper into the forest. "Remi..." he mutters through ragged breaths. "I'll come back for you." Behind him, the Yurei stands still, her smile returning. She tilts her head toward the shattered phone at her feet, her fingers brushing its cracked surface. As the crimson glow of the red moon bathes her face, she lets out a low, rasping chuckle. "Run, little Kanzaki," she murmurs, her voice dripping with venom. "This is far from over." Her laughter echoes through the forest as she turns, fading into the shadows, her bloodlust palpable beneath the red moon's ominous glow.

Kanzaki falls to the ground as his legs give out. He pants, squinting his eyes. He hears people laughing... the sound comes from every direction. What is this feeling of unease? Why is my heart beating so fast...? Am I scared? Why did I go into the forest in the first place? Do I really think I can stop this all by myself? I can't go on anymore, but... I can't give up either. I have to do it. I have to do something. He walks back to where Remi was and reaches out to grab his phone... eight missed calls from Akira and two messages. He reads it out loud: "Kanzaki, what kind of dumbass goes into the forest...? I'm coming, wait for me." He feels scared and relieved at the same time. He sits there, staring at the tree. Kanzaki looks at the moon... "The red moon marks her killing..." Who is the victim today? Mio... Kanzaki wakes up and looks at Remi. "Life wasn't worth much, huh...?" he asks. Remi is just lying there, her face pale, and there are marks on her neck from the tie. She doesn't deserve this... the Yurei just wants Harajuku for Astaroth. It has been a while. He stands up and takes off his jacket as he realized how hot it was. Their weak spot is their face... once you see it, let them see heaven... Or light? He runs away, his footsteps echoing through the forest. He looks at all the villagers who were hanged. He stops running when he hears someone step on a branch.

Kanzaki freezes in place, his breath catching in his throat as a low, menacing growl rumbles behind him. Slowly, he turns his head to find a white wolf crouched just a few feet away, its lips peeled back to reveal sharp, glistening teeth. The wolf's yellow eyes burn like molten gold in the dim light, their unnatural glow boring into Kanzaki. For a moment, he feels like prey. The wolf's growl abruptly stops. It sits down, its eyes still fixed on Kanzaki, unblinking. Unease prickles at his skin. "What... do you want?" he mutters, more to himself than the wolf. The wolf tilts its head slightly, as if it understands him, then stares pointedly at Kanzaki's outstretched hand. He hesitates but extends it. The wolf sniffs his fingers before locking eyes with him again. Its gaze is unnervingly intelligent, almost human. Kanzaki forces himself to pat its head, his heart pounding. When he steps back, the wolf stands and begins to follow him. "I don't have time for this," Kanzaki mutters, glancing over his shoulder. But the wolf doesn't stop. "You're just an animal. You can't understand me," yet deep down, something about it feels wrong. After several tense moments, Kanzaki halts, turning to confront the creature. "What do you want?" The wolf growls low again and sits, staring at something past Kanzaki. He follows its gaze to a tree. It doesn't belong. The bark seems too smooth, too... unnatural. Its color shimmers faintly under the light of the red moon. "What the hell...?" Kanzaki whispers. The wolf growls louder now, snapping him out of his thoughts. Kanzaki clenches his fist and, unsure why, slams it against the strange bark. The impact sends a dull shock through his arm as the tree's color shifts: red, like blood oozing from a wound. Suddenly, the wolf is gone. Kanzaki spins around, his breath quickening. The woods feel darker, heavier. The glow of the crimson moon intensifies, bathing everything in a sickly light. A cold, clammy hand settles on his shoulder. Kanzaki whips around, his stomach dropping. It is Remi. Or... something that looks like her. Her blonde hair hangs limply around her face, now devoid of its usual color. Her skin is pale as snow, unnaturally smooth, and her once-bright blue eyes are now deep, endless pools of red. "R-Remi?" Kanzaki stammers, stumbling back. Her lips curl into a slow, eerie smile, revealing unnaturally sharp teeth. "I... told you to leave me alone," she whispers, her voice layered with something inhuman, distorted and echoing. "No... What happened to you?" Kanzaki asks, his voice shaking. She takes a step closer, her movements jerky, as if she is a puppet on strings. "I'm not Remi anymore," she says, her voice trembling with despair, anger, and something far more sinister. "I'm... a monster." Her eyes glow brighter as she lunges forward, reaching for him. Kanzaki barely manages to leap out of her grasp, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. "Stay back!" he shouts, but his voice cracks. Remi stands there, watching him with an unnatural stillness. Her head tilts at an impossible angle, her glowing eyes fixed on him. "You shouldn't have come here," she whispers. The red moon's light seems to pulse in time with her words, and shadows stretch unnaturally across the ground toward Kanzaki. He runs, his feet pounding against the ground, but her voice follows him, low and haunting. "You can't escape me, Kanzaki..."

Kanzaki freezes in place. A cold dread seeps into his body as he realizes he can't move. His legs feel rooted to the ground. When he glances down, his eyes widen in horror. The grass beneath his feet grows unnaturally long, snaking around his ankles like living vines. The green blades twist and tighten, pulling him deeper into the earth with every passing second. From the corner of his eye, he sees Remi. Her pale, lifeless form moves toward him with an eerie grace, her blonde hair swaying unnaturally with each step as if the air itself carries her forward. Her blood-red eyes lock onto his, devoid of anything human. "Go... away!" Kanzaki yells, his voice trembling. Remi pauses mid-step, tilting her head to one side like a curious predator studying its prey. Her lips curl into a faint, unnerving smile. "Astaroth-sama wants you dead..." she says, her voice hollow and distant, as if spoken from the void. Kanzaki grits his teeth, his mind racing. Akira was still out there, still in danger. His heart pounds, and a twisted grin breaks across his face despite the fear clawing at him. "Well," he says, "tell him I wish we had the same fate." Remi's lifeless smile deepens into something more sinister. Her laugh is soft at first, a broken, raspy sound that grows louder, filling the air with a chilling echo. "You wouldn't be saying that," she whispers, her voice dripping with malice, "You're going to die soon." The vines around his legs tighten, and the ground beneath him seems to shift, as if it is alive. Kanzaki feels his strength waning, but his resolve holds firm as Remi draws closer, her step making the vines grow even more...

A loud scream catches Remi's attention. It sounds like the Yurei... Remi glares at Kanzaki, but then vanishes. The vines let go of him and shrink. He leans against a tree, trying to catch his breath. It is quiet; the only sound is an owl's hoot. Kanzaki clutches his arm. "It fucking hurts..." he groans. Kanzaki just sits there, the wind cold against his skin. I feel myself getting weaker... I can't even stand up straight... Is this the end of me and Harajuku? The thing is, I don't know. It all just hurts so much... but what about Akira? I still have to keep my promise, but what if I break it? That would be the same as leaving her, right...? I'm scared of losing her... And my life. I can't give up. I can't stop her, either. Sorry, Akira. Kanzaki closes his eyes and falls asleep. The red full moon rises even higher...

Akira knocks on the front door of Kanzaki's house while looking for something in her bag. "What happened to that dumb..." Before she could finish, the door opened. The Yurei stood there, looking down at her. "Ah... you came back... how adorable," the Yurei says. She leans closer to Akira. "Too bad... your friend isn't here. He's dead. It's your turn, isn't it, Akira-chan?" she asks, grinning. Akira tries to push her away, but the Yurei doesn't budge. Akira quickly runs into the house and goes upstairs to Kanzaki's room. She checks his drawers and finally finds it: the picture! The Yurei slowly enters Kanzaki's room, but Akira has already escaped. The window is open. "Two kids are that hard to handle, huh...? Everyone, attack," the Yurei says, her voice carrying a hint of anger. She heads back downstairs and enters Mio's room. Mio is tied to a chair, unable to move. A ghost behind her covers her mouth so she can't scream. The ghost behind her chuckles. ''I want to kill her already...'' it says. The Yurei shakes her head. ''Astaroth wants her,'' she says. ''For what?'' the ghost asks. ''Answers,'' the Yurei replies. ''I'll get that girl...'' she says, leaving the ghost there.

Akira runs to the entrance of the forest. That dumbass! How reckless is he?! Doing something like this without telling me... Akira clenches her fist. She enters the forest and quickly notices. "Scary. Disgusting. What else do I have to say," she mumbles. She stops running and pants. "How long have I been searching already?!" she thinks, squinting her eyes. It's so dark... She unlocks her phone and puts the brightness on max so she can see in the dark. "Where is that idiot...!" she thinks, frustrated. She notices a tie on the ground, a bit covered in blood. She goes left and sees someone in the distance. The person was asleep, his/her face covered in blood. There was also a broken phone next to the person... It was Kanzaki. Akira approaches him... "Kanzaki! Can you hear me?!" she yells, her voice echoing. She inspects him, noticing the blood on his feet and his broken arm. He opens his eyes, half-asleep but closes it again. "You idiot!" she yells, nearly punching him out of anger. Kanzaki's heart was still beating, Akira heard it. She looks at his hand and her eyes widen. She looks around, making sure no one is watching. She takes off her shirt and gently wraps it around his arm and hand. She opens her bag and pulls her jacket out, putting it on and zipping it up. She puts his broken phone in her bag and stands up. She lifts him up. "You fatass!" she mumbles, veins popping out of her neck as she tries to keep him in her arms. She hears someone's footsteps. Not so far, but not near either. Kanzaki mumbles... "Gomen..." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Akira's face softens. "It's alright. I'll take care of it, rest," she says, forcing herself to walk further.

Akira takes a break after nearly 30 minutes of walking while Kanzaki rested in her arms. She lets him sit down in front of a tree. The footsteps were still heard, but Akira didn't care, as long as Kanzaki was alright. She lets herself plop onto the ground. Kanzaki's injuries stopped bleeding. A girl suddenly appears and looks at Akira. "Um... Who are you?" the girl asks. Akira stands up. Akira: "I could ask the same to you. Why are you here?" the girl looks at Kanzaki. "I'm Aoi... Kanzaki's neighbour... I was looking for him... What happened?" Aoi asks, sitting down. "Go away. Don't come back. Don't tell anyone," Akira says, not even trying to respect Aoi's reason. It felt weird. Akira was staring at Aoi, waiting for her to leave. "N-no..." Aoi says while stuttering, her face flushed. "What's wrong with you? Weirdo," Akira reacts, a disgusted expression on her face. "I... I'm his girlfriend," Aoi explains, looking down. Akira grits her teeth. "Oh, shut up. I rather die than believe that," Akira says grabbing Aoi's collar. "You monster. I don't fall for lousy traps like yours..." Akira says, the color in her eyes disappearing. "You're not his girlfriend or whatever. You're a ghost," Akira continues, putting more pressure on Aoi's neck. "Have you realized now? The kind of people you mess with? Were they really weaker than you? I don't think so. They still want to kill you. Look at the ground," Akira orders. Aoi looks down and sees it... All the villagers' hands, pulling her to the ground. Aoi: "N-no! I'm sorry!" She disappeared. Aoi is gone. Akira's eyes slowly get their color back. She looks at Kanzaki. "Sorry, I should've came earlier," she says, blaming herself.

Kanzaki was still asleep. Akira looks at him, a frown on his face. What possessed you to explore the forest...? You knew it was dangerous... But why...? Akira buries her face in her knees. The red full moon was still there... Kanzaki opens his left eye, his hair covering his right one. He couldn't talk well, considering his injuries. He looks at Akira. "W... Wha..." he pauses mid-sentence, coughing up blood. Akira flinches by the sound and stiffens up. Her eyes widen as soon as she sees Kanzaki coughing up blood. "Are you okay?" she asks, trying to not rush things. Akira has a worried look on her face, but she forces herself to stay calm. Kanzaki covers his mouth with his hand. Akira hands him a bottle of water, but then... A cold hand touches Akira's shoulder, making her shiver. She looks behind her, just to find a ghost there. It's red eyes were glowing through the black hair. Kanzaki's eye narrows, pushing Akira away. It was Remi... "Leave her alone..." Kanzaki says, a mix of sadness and anger in his voice. Akira looks at him. "You're inju-" before she could finish her sentence, Kanzaki speaks. "A man is supposed to protect a woman, just run," he says, looking at Akira. Akira turns around, running away. "Stay safe, please..." she wishes, squinting her eyes.

Akira looks at her phone... It was 02:14 a.m. How is it so early? It should be over 4 am... Don't tell me...! Akira opens her bag, getting out a book called 'The Truth of Humanity's History' and opens it. The book was old, most of the text weren't there. Akira reads: "A lot of devils existed back then... One of them named ''Astaroth'' can stop time... He is the owner of ghosts, known as... Yurei's... He had promised Chuuya to destroy the world for her... No one knows when exactly..." Akira's eyes fly over the words, reading it all without even trying to understand. "The only solution to stop the curse is... Bring the dead back to death." Akira frowns. "Bring the dead... Back to death?" she says, confused. She tries to look for a explanation, but can't find one. Before she closes it, she looks in her bag. After a bit she finds a pen and marks the page. She hears footsteps from the distance. Kanzaki arrives, a cut on his cheek. He was panting, trying to catch his breath. He leans on a tree, gesturing her to stay quiet and hide. Akira nods and gathers her book and puts it in her bag. She goes and hides behind a few bushes...

The ghosts walk around the forest, their footsteps loud. Akira holds in her breath, looking at Kanzaki. Before one of the ghosts arrived, he ran to Akira, grabbed her hand and ran away. Akira's eyes widen as he pulled her. Akira's wrist started hurting because of his grip. Akira looks at him. She hears footsteps behind her, she looks behind... The ghost grabbed her face, making Kanzaki unable to move. Akira gasps as Kanzaki lets go of her wrist. "Sorry. I'll be back," he whispers, disappearing into the darkness. The ghost looks at Akira and smirks. The other ghosts surround her... "Fooooood... Destroy... Hang... Devour...!" they all yell, their deep voices echoing through the forest. "Leave me alone...!" Akira yells, trying to free herself from the ghost's grip. Akira tries kicking the ghost's stomach, but the ghost won't budge. Slowly... It feels like her head gets ripped off. She screams, the pain too much to bear. Akira closes her eyes, blood coloring the ghost's dress. The ghosts laugh, mocking Akira...

Kanzaki looks behind him as he hears a loud scream. Akira... I hope you're still okay. He stops running and looks at the tree... How am I at the same place... I swear it was the opposite direction...! Then he sees it. Akira's bag. He opens it and pulls out the book. Akira had put a mark on the page where the solution was written. He finds it and reads... "Who's the 'dead'?" he thinks. "A dead person that still kinda is alive? A ghost? Uh..." he says out loud. He looks at the blood that was on the ground and realizes what happened... Sorry... I couldn't protect you... I'm such an failure... Please forgive me, Akira. Tears started streaming down his cheeks. Suddenly, when his tear fall on the page, it starts giving off a glow... Blue light comes out of it, gathering in front of Kanzaki. After a while, the book closes... Kanzaki backs off, not wanting to get hurt. The sparks of light form something... A shape, or rather a human... Maybe a monster. The light vanishes, leaving a little girl there. It felt weird. She wasn't human... She had purple skin tone, a blindfold in front of her eyes, white silky hair that hung over her shoulders, a horn on the right and left side of her head... She also has wings. But what matters right now is... The fact this girl might be dangerous for Kanzaki, or even worse... For Japan.

Kanzaki studies the creature. She walks closer to him, her wings widespread. Every step felt heavy but somehow... Kanzaki felt at ease. The creature holds her finger up, making Kanzaki unable to move. As if time stopped, just because the creature held a finger up... She kept getting closer, until she was right infront of him. "What... Are you... Doing... Here?" The creature asks, her voice was deep, even though a hint of happiness blended in. Kanzaki gulps, sweat forming on his face. The creature leans even closer, trying to know why Kanzaki isn't answering. "I... The curse..." he says, unable to stop trembling now that she's close. The creature walks away a bit. "What... Curse?" she asks. Kanzaki takes a deep breath, trying to calm down. "The Yurei... Astaroth..." Kanzaki says, all the memories replaying in his mind. The creature smiles, her sharp teeth on full display. The creature: "Akuma... King of chimera's... Destroyer of... The universe... Who are... You?" Kanzaki feels a chill running down his spine... Her voice... I can't trust anyone. Especially her... Run, Kanzaki. He turns around and was about to run but... Akuma's hand was on his shoulder, not letting him go. She looks at him with a disappointed expression. "Why... Are you... Trying to run...?" Akuma asks, the blindfold giving off a purple glow over their surroundings. Kanzaki feels like he's getting pressed on the ground... Even though it was just her hand.

Kanzaki froze. "Am I... scary...?" Akuma asks. Kanzaki looks at her, his eyes were wide open. "Go... Away...!" Kanzaki says, shivering. Akuma backs off, letting him move again. Akuma tilts her head to the side. "In that case... I'll go," she says, disappearing behind the black fog... Kanzaki clutches his chest. Am I imagining things? Are my eyes deceiving me... Or rather... Can things like this really exist? This can't be real... I'm sure I'm dreaming. All those monsters... My grandpa... Fumiko... Astaroth... Was it really true? Do monsters really exist? Who's the dead? What do I even do... All by myself? Kanzaki looks around... The purple glow was gone. She left, leaving him hanging. He takes a deep breath and looks at the blood on the ground. His shoulder started hurting... He looks behind him, noticing the red tree again. As he puts his hands on it... His hand just went through it... His eyes widen as he feels something in the tree... He pulls it out, just to find a recorder. He puts it on... "Whoever is hearing... rustle.... this message... crack... Kill the dead person... Among you all... To stop the curse... rustle... Or it will... Beep..." it stops. The connection broke... Kanzaki sighs in annoyance. He tries to turn it on again but he can't...

Kanzaki grunts, throwing the recorder far away. It hits the ground and breaks. Kanzaki decides to take a nap, but hears someone's breath on his neck. He looks around, noticing the fog... It keeps getting thicker... It kinda makes him feel... Nauseous. "Akira..." he says as the word echoes in his mind. He leans on a tree, looking at the sky that was blurred because of the fog. The full red moon was still there, casting a glow over Harajuku... Kanzaki stands up straight and walks into the fog, trying to find a way out. "Go... Further... Deeper... Don't stop," he says as he runs. Suddenly, he bumps onto something... No. Someone. Kanzaki looks up, just to see Remi there. She grabbed his face, nearly tearing it off but then... The pressure was felt again. Akuma wasn't here though... Remi looks around. No one was here other than them... It was either lurking in the shadows... Or one of them. Another monster, maybe.

In the blink of an eye, a loud explosive sound was heard. As if people fell on the ground. Remi was looking at the direction where it came from... Kanzaki takes the opportunity to run away. Remi doesn't notice, still looking at the direction where the sounds came from. The fog started getting even thicker, making Kanzaki unable to see. After a while... He feels like he wasn't in the forest. Nevermind, there were still trees around him. He reaches his hand out in front of him and finds a doorknob. He turns it and the door creacks open with a loud sound. Kanzaki enters, but everything suddenly lights up. He closes the door first and turns aroud... Just to find Akira's dead body on the ground, above a devil symbol that was made and smelled like... Blood. There were 5 candles, on each end of the star. Kanzaki's eyes widen. Three ghosts appear behind Akira's dead body. The left and right one had short hair, allowing Kanzaki to see their mouth. The one in the middle had a blood-stained white burial kimono. "You have arrived..." the one on the left said. "Yurei-sama has been waiting," the right one said, stepping back at the same time as the one on the left. Kanzaki tries to open the door, but it wont... It's... Locked?! He looks back at the Yurei in the middle. "Lets start the ritual..." she says, smirking. Her red eyes were glowing under her black hair.

The Yurei started mumbling a few words, as the candles began to melt. Red aura came out of Akira's body... Kanzaki: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The two ghosts appear behind him, holding him. "Watch..." the one on the left said. "How Harajuku will get destroyed..." the right one finished. The fire started spreading, burning Akira's body. The red aura slowly escaped from an open window. Then... It happened. "Astaroth-sama, bless us with your presence," The Yurei said. The fire stopped. The candles melted, and only steam was seen. When it gets clear, Kanzaki sees him. The devil, Astaroth. He looks at the Yurei and nods at her, acknowledging her presence. He then sits besides Akira's burnt body. Kanzaki held his mouth, knowing arguing to the devil would result in death... But then... Astaroth cut Akira's arm in a swift move and eats it up but quickly swallows it. "It's... Bitter," he says, his deep voice cutting through the silence. The Yurei has a concerned look on her face, but quickly hides it. "Don't worry, Astaroth-sama. We have prepared another meal for you, My Lord," she says, pointing at Kanzaki. Kanzaki gulps as Astaroth looks at him and nods. "Great to hear," he says, smirking.

Introduction before last part(s): Astaroth is a devil, born out of hell fire created by the family Shun over 50 years ago. He has red skin tone, white short hair, orange eyes, red sharp teeth and a tail. He loves eating humans and taking revenge. Akuma is a girl that was used for an experiment to see if they could fuse the devil Berith with a Yurei, also created by the family Shun over 50 years ago. She loves hunting and is a fan of genies. The new Yurei, created by Astaroth. She has black long hair that touches the ground, red eyes and is wearing a white burial kimono. She loves killing people and is a fan of Astaroth. Sayaka and Nabika are twin girls, adopted by Erina to support the Yurei. They have short hair that covers their eyes and nose, sharp teeth, wearing a blood-stained kimono, the only difference between them is their hands. Sayaka's hands are small, as Nabika's are a lot bigger than hers. Nabika is also a bit older than Sayaka. They love seeing people suffer and are fans of torture. Ghosts like them are called ''Yurei Executives''. Momosuke is a 12-year-old girl that was captured by Astaroth to learn him about humans (Born in Sapporo on the 14th of May). She has ginger hair, orange eyes, sprouts and usually wears a yellow kimono. She loves playing and is a fan of chess (Both 3 born in Shibuya). Yoshika is a 15-year-old boy that was also held captive by Astaroth for ideas and brainstorming (Born in Shibuya on the 9th of August). He has grey hair, green eyes and usually wears a T-Shirt with pants. He loves joking around and is a fan of comedy. Zakiko is a 14-year-old girl that was held captive because she knew everything about Astaroth, releasing her would result into death (Born in Shinjuku on the 30th of January). She has brown curly hair and hazel brown eyes and usually wears a jacket and jeans. She loves killing monsters and is a fan of thriller. Reina is a 16-year-old girl that lived in the forest. She has red straight hair, red eyes (Giving off a killer vibe) and has an axe decorated with red shards on her back. She loves killing people and is a fan of horror (Born in Tokyo). Sora is a 13-year-old boy with white hair, blue eyes. He loves finding things out and is a fan of biology (Whole family born in Ebisu). Erina is a 31-year-old woman with white hair, grey eyes and she also has glasses. She loves doing experiments and is a fan of ghosts. Satoshi is a 35-year-old man with brown hair and green eyes. He loves cloning and is a fan of devils. Kuroo is a 13-year old girl used for cloning ghosts by the family Shun. She has black long hair, red eyes and wears a long white dress. She loves learning and is a fan of math (Born in Shinjuku). Banji is a 28-year-old man who was the past 'dead'. He has low square glasses, red hair and yellow eyes. He loves teaching and is a fan of physiology (Born in Yokohama). Ayato is a 20-year-old man who does experiments with children who have a high IQ. He has green hair and green eyes. He loves killing and is a fan of history (Born in Nara). Haruki is a werewolf. Nina is a 6-year-old girl with blonde short hair usually in 2 pigtails and sky blue eyes. She wears a blue dress, which covers her knees. She loves dressing up and is a fan of action (Born in Harajuku). Chuuya was Astaroth's wife.

Kanzaki trembles as Astaroth stands up, walking towards him. Astaroth leans closer to Kanzaki, his face inches away from Kanzaki's. "Stop... Moving too... Much..." a voice says as purple light appears in the dimly lit room. Astaroth freezes, not able to move in the presence of Akuma. She was there, sitting mid-air with her arms crossed. Kanzaki looks at her with a mix of relief and fear at the same time. Akuma: "You... Idiotic child." Astaroth looks up at her, the ability not affecting him now. "Who are you to interfere...?" he asks, letting out a low, menacing growl. Kanzaki replays all the Aikido training sessions he had with his mother... First... Twist the arm, turn around and... Pull them on your back? He tries it but instead of lifting Sayaka, it was Remi... She vanishes. Akuma looks at him and smirks. "Run... Away," she says, lifting her finger up before everyone except for Kanzaki freezes. Kanzaki wants to thank her, since he appreciated her help. But he knew there wasn't much time, he had to go now. He pushes Nabika away from the doorway and opens it. This time it was unlocked, before he leaves, Akuma throws Kanzaki's flashlight to him. "Bring the dead back to death, Kanzaki," she said, putting all her trust in him.

Kanzaki left the place, flashing the light on it... It looked like an experiment laboratory. The cracked walls seemed to sag under their own weight, with deep, jagged gashes etched into the stone as though clawed by something not human. Shattered windows revealed only black voids, yet it felt like eyes were watching him from within. Rusted chains dangled limply from the roof, clinking softly as the wind passed through, and streaks of dark stains ran down the moss-covered stone like tears of blood. His light swept over a faded sign barely clinging to the wall, its words chillingly clear despite the decay: ''Experiment Zone: No Entry.'' The air grew colder around him, the faint scent of rust and rot seeping from the cracks in the building, as if the structure itself was exhaling death. There was also written ''New lab, 8 km to the north'' next to the laboratory. Kanzaki looks at the direction where the new laboratory was... Gotta get it to find answers... His heart was beating really fast. He looks behind him one more time... "Goodbye, Akuma," he says, before turning around and running to the "new lab".

While Kanzaki was running... He sees them. The villagers, they were all over the ground. That explains why there was a loud sound back then. Kanzaki feels like someone is watching him. It's always... Lurking in the shadows somehow. Kanzaki could feel its presence. He didn't stop running and kept going north... Someone grabbed his feet. To his surprise, it was one of the villagers. Before the villager could do anything, his hand gets cut off. Kanzaki looks to his right, just to see a woman with red hair and red eyes catching an axe that flew to her direction. She puts the axe back on its place and stares at him. The girl: "What are you doing here out of all places, kid?" Kanzaki narrows his eyes. "Looking for a laboratory," he answers. She sighs and gestures him to follow her. A silence fell as they walked. "What's your name?" she asked. Kanzaki tilts his head to the side. "It's Kanzaki..." he answers, studying her axe. "That isn't a normal weapon, is it?" he asks, looking at her. The girl: "Well, I'm Reina. And yes, it's not an normal axe. I made it by the red shards I found in the forest." Kanzaki pauses as he sees the tall building... It stood unnaturally pristine, its surface gleaming under the moonlight as if it had been constructed just yesterday. The glass windows reflected no light, only darkness, and the edges of the structure were unnervingly sharp, almost too perfect. Something about its untouched state in the midst of decay felt wrong, as though it didn't belong there... Or was deliberately hiding something.

Reina: "Are you going or what?" Kanzaki takes a deep breath and opens the door... It smelled like poison was used here... He puts on his flashlight, but then... He sees stairs, broken glass, the tables and chairs upside-down and papers were everywhere. "Who even works here?" Kanzaki asks. Reina looks at him and smirks. She then leaves the laboratory, locking the door. Kanzaki's eyes widen when she locked the door, leaving him alone there. Damnit... Kanzaki decides to just do it alone and inspects everything he sees. He tries to open a door, but there was a keyhole and he didn't have any keys. He hears a low growl coming from inside... He facepalms, annoyed. He heads upstairs, finding 3 doors. Kanzaki decides to go check the one where "Sora's Room" was scribbled with old Japanese handwriting. When he gets in, it was a rather neat room. The desk and chair were both made of wood, the room also had a cloning tank, where a plant was in it with some green chemicals. There were posters of biology information hung everywhere. The bed was old, even though there was a diary on it with a pen next to it. Kanzaki reads what was written out loud...

"It's been a while since they've done this... Mother and father are cloning devils and ghost, I don't know why. They've been acting weird lately, always checking my room and bringing random guests. One of the guests was my friend, Yumin. Mother and father wanted to talk to her, but after that, she never came back. They told me she was gonna move out of Harajuku, but I don't think so. Yumin said she would stay in Harajuku forever... She stopped visiting, mother brought even more guests every passing day but... I never saw them leave. I don't know where they are. My mother keeps coming into my room at mignight, I'm scared. Her name is Erina, my father's name is Satoshi. They haven't been eating lately and talk to each other about fusing a devil and ghost... I don't know what's going on, my mother keeps telling me that they're making a sort of beast that can save Harajuku. It all happened... The guests kept coming, but never left. And mom forbids me to go outside. She says it's too dangerous, but why? It just feels weird, I can't find the right words to explain it. I have been trying to clone a plant, the Tiger Lily because my father asked me to do that. I haven't finished yet, I don't know when I will be. I keep hearing sounds, I'm not writing about sounds a human makes. This one was deep. It came from my father's room. It wasn't human at all, it sounds like a monster. I really don't know what kind of 'beast' my parents are making, but I think its dangerous. It's life-threathening, since that's a better word for it. My parents told me to continue cloning the plant... But why? They've been doing this ever since Harajuku started blooming. I feel like mother and father changed, they don't act like humans. Their eye color changed into a pitch black one. They still talk to me but... How did they forget my name? Father just slapped me because I corrected mother. I feel like they ruined theirselves, they aren't human beings anymore. They're monsters, creating another monster worse and scarier than them. It isn't to save Harajuku at all, it's to destroy it. I don't know if I will survive. The guest came back, but... All of them looked alike. Long black hair, white dresses and... The were all women, but one of them greeted me... Just one of them, a person I had trusted became a monster. No, she was forced to become one. It was Yumin... She recognized me... Why are mother and father doing this. I'm really scared. Mother and father were smiling. It doesn't feel right. Everything's wrong... I want the normal Erina and Satoshi back but... How? Father has been in his room more than usual... Mother has been going in the forest countless times. I really have no idea what they're doing. Or even better... Why they're doing it. I feel like I don't belong here anymore. I'm not a monster. They are, I'm afraid they're gonna make me one. I wanna stay human... Just what in the world is going on with everyone? I saw 2 people too. They were the only different ones. One of them was a devil, the other one looked weird... Maybe the ghost and devil fusion? There was also a wolf next to the devil-ghost person. I'm Sora Shun and I always will be. If anyone reads it, please help me... I'm gonna get locked up by mother and father. I'll turn into a monster soon... So please, I beg you... Anyone, even if its a monster who's reading this... Help me...! - Sora Shun"

Kanzaki bites his bottom lip, concern written all over his face. He looks at the Stinking Lily Corpse. He looks at all the machines around it. Kanzaki pulls the charger of the machine out of the wall socket. Volts of electricity start coming out of the socket. He quickly backs off, being on time. Kanzaki grabs the diary and leaves the room. He slammed the door shut and went to a room where was written "Erina" on it. The room was full of papers and had 3 cloning tanks. Kanzaki opens a closet, there were posters hung in it and papers. When Kanzaki reads the papers, he realizes that creating ghosts and devils would be traded for a lot of money... Harajuku's forest would be a activity for people who want to experience real horror... Kanzaki looks through all the papers. Those were all offers for the ghosts and the forest... Just who are they? Kanzaki searches everywhere in the room but can't find anything. He kicks the cloning tank in frustration, but the green chemicals started streaming out of it. Kanzaki quickly leaves Erina's room and closes the door.

Inside Satoshi's room, there were 2 machines... They were kinda connected to each other. Kanzaki looks at the girl that was in one of the machines. She had black long hair, her eyes were closed and she looked like the ghosts. Kanzaki touches the glass of the tank... The girl was asleep. Then... Kanzaki feels someone grabbing his arm from behind... He looks around, just to find Akuma behind him. He freezes. Akuma quickly moves out of the way. "Break it..." she says, reffering to the machine. Kanzaki stares at her with a look that said ''How?'' Akuma chuckles. "Your fists... Use... Them to... Break the... Machine..." she whispers. Kanzaki obeys and punches the glass, a loud sound could be heard. The glass didn't break at all... There was a hole, but it went back to it after Kanzaki took his fist off the glass. "It's... Made of... Dead... People..." Akuma says, her hand tracing the glass. Kanzaki takes a deep breath. "Who the fuck cares?! I'm getting her out of that hellhole," he says, determination building up... Akuma looks at his chest, noticing the fire. "Kamii-sama, you have chosen the right person..." she thinks, right before Kanzaki punches the glass, the machines both shattering in thousands of pieces...

Akuma had catched the girl before she hit the ground. She looks at the girl and leaves the room. Kanzaki looks in the drawers, but can't find a key. He leaves the room, searching for Akuma. Kanzaki finds Akuma on the stairs... Another one led upstairs? Just how many floors does this laboratory have?! Kanzaki looks at Akuma as she gestures him to follow her. Akuma was carrying the girl in her arms. Kanzaki looks at Akuma. Kanzaki: "What do you know about this place?" Akuma pauses and turns to him, the blindfold glowing. "I was... Made... Here as a... Monster..." she answers, smiling at him. Kanzaki heads upstairs... This time there were 4 doors, 1 of them was locked. Kanzaki opens the first door, seeing a room with a desk, a laptop and a chair. Nothing special. Akuma heads into the room and looks at the papers. There wasn't anything useful written on them. Akuma opens the laptop, the screen lighting up most of the room. It asked for a password... Kanzaki: "You can't possibly know that." To his surprise, Akuma got it and logged in. The screen showed multiple documents. Akuma scrolls through them until... She finds it. "How to stop them?" was the title. She reads it for Kanzaki.

"I have created ghosts and devils but... If it goes overboard, we will need a solution! I found it out. Bring the dead back to death. It's as simple as that. A dead person in Harajuku still lives... Let me explain. Humans see the person, but if you take a picture of the person, he/she won't be on the photo. It's a dead person that can trick a human's eye. Years ago, it was a man named Banji... He died before in a car accident, but you still saw him. A boy named Gin ended up killing him with his friend, Fumiko. Great memories... Those kids were really smart... I got one of them, so it doesn't matter anymore... My plans won't fail... I see you..." The screen freezes after Akuma stopped reading. "They are... Watching... From every... Corner..." she says, turning to Kanzaki. "Let's... Get out... Of... Here..." Akuma mumbles. Kanzaki clenches his fist. "No... I'm not going yet," he says glaring daggers at Akuma. She tilts her head to the side... But then... She felt a pressure as Kanzaki was staring at her... The dark aura surrounded him, asking to be left alone... Akuma nods and leaves the laboratory.

Kanzaki sits down and buries his face in his hands. What's wrong with me... He stands up and brushes the dirt off his shoes. Kanzaki leaves the room and then... A figure that was lurking in the shadows quietly closes the door. "Project Goodnight Harajuku starts now... Targets have arrived..." the figure says, holding a phone close to it's ear. The other person on the line mumbles something and hangs up... "We'll meet again, Kanzakiii...~!" the figure says, chuckling. The door creaks open, Kanzaki quickly turns around. He switches the flashlight on... He looks inside the room. There was no one there... It's probably the wind. Kanzaki closes the door... It opens fully. Kanzaki's eyes widen. "This whole laboratory is cursed...!" he says, looking around. Kanzaki decides to just roll with it and goes to the other room. This one... There wasn't anything in it... Kanzaki leaves and heads to the third one... It had nothing too. He steps in the room, a shiver running down his spine the moment his feet touches the ground. The door closed behind him... He got pushed, falling on the ground.

Kanzaki stands up and looks around again... No one was here at all. My eyes are deceiving me... Kanzaki switched his flashlight back on... He sees two of them... Sayaka and Nabika were standing there. "You won't escape..." Sayaka says. "Without our permission..." Nabika finishes. Kanzaki steps back, scared. Sayaka steps closer after Nabika does. "Why..." Sayaka asks. "Are you not a ghost yet?" Nabika interferes. Kanzaki looks at her, his eyes widening with fear. Nabika smirks and turns to Sayaka. "Let's do this..." Nabika says, cracking her fingers. "Astaroth-sama wants to turn you into a ghost..." she mumbles. "Black Magic..." Sayaka says. "Technique 2... Black Fog..." Nabika finishes, fog appearing everywhere in the room. It was getting thicker... Kanzaki tries to find the door, but bumps into Nabika. He hears someone chuckling. Sayaka lifts him up and smirks. "Die..." Sayaka says, her red eyes glowing under her hair. "Onegaishimasu..." Nabika finishes. Nabika pauses before she was gonna slap Kanzaki. "Why... Why do you ruin humanity...? You already live in the forest... So why...? You never had to ruin it... You just follow orders without thinking about others... You two were humans too before... So why do you hurt someone like you...?" Kanzaki says, clenching his fists. Nabika and Sayaka's eyes widen. "Because... Humans made us suffer..." Sayaka answers.

Sayaka and Nabika before... They were sisters who loved cooking and usually helped anyone in need. On their birthday everything went wrong... Her father and mother divorced, leaving them alone. They had to live somewhere else... But where? It's not like anyone would just take them in. Their bodies started changing, no one recognizing them. The people started throwing rocks at them while they were on their lowest. After days of bleeding and getting injured Sayaka was on the verge of death. Nabika couldn't do anything, since she was in a bad state as well. Everyone started hating them more, even trying to kill them. That was so until a woman took them in. Erina Shun, a name Sayaka and Nabika would never forget. Erina healed their wounds and fed them both. Erina told them about a potion she invented. It lets you live for centuries, your looks won't change either. But only if you refused to do what Erina orders, you will die. Sayaka and Nabika took it, because Erina told them to. Satoshi talked with the girls, asking Sayaka to go in one of the tanks... Nabika didn't want to leave Sayaka, so she went in too. The pain after they got in was unbearable, changing them into monsters... Sayaka and Nabika obeyed Erina and Satoshi, scared that they would ever have to experience it again...

Kanzaki hesitates but then... "Why don't you give us another chance? I'll make it up to you, I promise," he says, taking a step closer. Sayaka looks at Nabika. "Will you hurt us?" Sayaka asks, trembling. Kanzaki shakes his head. "I'm not cruel," he answers. Nabika reaches her hand out to him. "I'm Nabika. This is my sister Sayaka," she says, pointing at Sayaka. Kanzaki shakes her hand firmly. "Kanzaki," he says. The fog disappeared. "We will help you, as long as you don't hurt us," Sayaka says, opening the door. Kanzaki nods and leaves the room. He looks at the room that was locked. "Can you open it?" he asks, looking at Sayaka. She shrugs but then points at Nabika. "She can," Sayaka answers. Nabika takes a look at the door. She takes a step to the right. "Black magic... Technique 1... Explosive Void," Nabika says as void appears, even though it was tiny. Nabika points at the wall with her index finger. The void slowly heads there, exploding once it came in contact with the wall. There was a hole in the wall... Kanzaki grins. "You're telling me to not hurt you while you can kill me that easily?" he asks. Sayaka and Nabika stare at each other but then they start laughing.

"I'll go," Nabika says before she enters the room. She unlocks the door and opens it. Sayaka and Nabika freeze. "Sorry..." Sayaka says. "We're... Dying," Nabika says before they slowly vanish into thin air. Kanzaki stares at the place where Nabika was standing... What happened... Why did they... Who killed them...? They just... No way... They're controlled? Kanzaki's mind fills up with ideas. He enters the room... Papers were everywhere on the ground and in closets. He leaves the room, too lazy to look through every paper. He heads back to the first floor. Kanzaki looks around, trying to find anything to open the door with. He finds a key in a drawer. He opens the door... A boy was hung, his hair covering his face. There was a cloning tank behind the boy, the room had 2 closets next to the tank. It's him... Sora Shun. Kanzaki studies the boy and then comes closer. He looks at the tie as he struggles to free Sora. Kanzaki hears footsteps... He quickly opens the closet and hides in it. Someone enters the room... No, there were multiple people. "Then... Let's start... Oh yeah... The plant is still upstairs. I'll get it later..." a feminine voice said. "Ah... I think we have a special guest..." a masculine voice answered. Kanzaki's breath hitches when footsteps come closer...

Footsteps weren't heard now... The door creaks open... A man with brown hair and black eyes smiles at him. The man opens his mouth, just to reveal his jagged teeth. "It's great to see you but... Farewell," he says, getting closer to Kanzaki... Right on time, Kanzaki moves to the side. The man looks at him. "Erina... You should keep an eye on him while I make the Yurei King..." A woman with white hair and black eyes. She takes her glasses off, cleaning them. She studies Kanzaki for a moment and then nods in acknowledgement. Erina gestures Kanzaki to get out of the closet. He gulps... What kind of situation did I get in... He looks at Sora. Still gotta save him yet... No one can help, Akuma was outside so that means... She saw the parents?! Kanzaki slowly crawls out of the closet and stands up. He looks right into Erina's black eyes. "Leave Sora alone," he says, having a determined look in his eyes. Erina chuckles and then her eyes started shrinking, until 2 glowing yellow eyes appeared instead of the black ones... "Do you not know what kind of situation it is... A single step might be... The end of you... It was all part of my plan... This whole time... I'll destroy the country after I'm done with you..." she says, her voice echoing through Kanzaki's mind.

"I'm not gonna let you destroy it..." Kanzaki says, glaring at her. "Oh, please... Just die..." Erina says, rolling her eyes. The man looks at Kanzaki. "Stop wasting our time..." he says, growling. Kanzaki looks at Sora and thinks for a moment. He hesitates but then... He pushes Erina to the man's direction, causing them to fall. He tries to cut the tie using a shard of glass... Erina stands up. Sora falls on the ground, Kanzaki grabs Sora's hand. He lets Sora lean against a wall and turns back to Erina and the man. "Satoshi... He's a genius, isn't he... Just like Gin... I didn't think Banji would die like that... Well, this year is a new one... A new dead... And... A new chance for victory..." Erina says, grinning. Satoshi stands in front of the door. Kanzaki clenches his fist. "It's your son... You failure..." he mumbles, his face darkening. "How dare you... Make your own son... A pawn to destroy... The country you lived in...!!!" he yells, his voice filled with a hint of anger and sadness. Satoshi and Erina look at each other, confusion in their eyes. "He isn't our son, he's a tool," Satoshi answers, shrugging. Sora stirrs for a second. Kanzaki grabs his arm and drags him towards the door. He furiously kicks Satoshi and opens the door, wanting to leave the laboratory...

Kanzaki and Sora exit the laboratory, even though Erina's footsteps were heard behind them. Sora blinks multiple times. He looks at Kanzaki and tilts his head. "Who... Are you?" Sora asks, his voice hoarse. Kanzaki's eyes light up and he smiles. "You're still alive!" Kanzaki says, pulling him into an unexpected hug. Sora gasps, but then realizes. "You saved me... Didn't you...?" he asks, nearly tearing up. Kanzaki nods, pulling away from the hug. Sora: "In exchange... I want to do something for you... Anything!" Kanzaki thinks for a bit... "Help me bring the dead back to death..." he says, before looking at the trees. Sora freezes. "That's your goal?" he asks. Kanzaki: "Yeah, I want to stop the curse." Sora hesitates. "It's dangerous... But... I trust you!" he says. Erina's footsteps were coming closer. Kanzaki: "Run!" Sora doesn't look behind him and runs away. After a while, he sees Kanzaki walking to him. Sora frowns. "Are you okay?" he asks, leaning closer. Kanzaki takes a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm alright," he answers before they follow the path.

"Where are we going?" Sora asks as he notices how cramped the forest is now. "Just looking for anything..." Kanzaki answers, but then he stops... His legs won't move, as if something grabbed it... He looks down, but gets pulled in a hole. Sora looks in shock. "KANZAKI!!!!" he yells, trying to grab him but he already went in. Sora decides to also get in... He finds himself in a rather... strange place. Everything here was dark... The torches placed next to walls lit the room a bit, Sora looks around. The ground felt weird... This was water... "Kanzaki! Are you here?" he asks, his voice echoing through the room. He takes one of the torches and realized. "This place is... The Yurei's ho-..." before he can finish his sentence, a cold hand tapped on his shoulder. When Sora finally can see the person, his eyes widened. The Yurei stood there, her face revealed. She was mad, her hair was swaying every once and then. She smirks, her red eyes glowing. "I found you... Let me kill you, please..." she says, laughing.

Kanzaki falls on the ground. He mumbles something as he tries to stand up. "You really thought..." a deep voice said. Four glowing yellow eyes stared at him from the distance... Kanzaki: "Oh... That's... Cool." A person started laughing, it's voice loud. It was a woman... To be clear, another one of those monsters. I have no other choice... I don't know if there is a way to escape. Right now, my biggest concern is my life. It's either they will kill me, or I find out a way to escape this weird place. The lights go on. Kanzaki sees them again... Erina and Satoshi. Satoshi's smirk widens as he sees Kanzaki. "You're never leaving this place since it's where your life ends..." he says, his hair growing every passing second. "You shouldn't have interfered... We would've spared you if you didn't..." Erina says as she walks to Kanzaki. "Black magic... Technique 3... Reality Void..." she says as a dark hole appears, slowly taking Kanzaki in. "Problem solved... Let's get the tool now," Erina says.

Kanzaki finds himself in Harajuku... Everything looked peaceful, not like the current one... It feels... Strange, as if it was his imagination. The sky had a soft blue color and the buildings were all made recently... Kanzaki then started seeing people. They were all smiling but then... They all disappeared into thin air. He looks as a girl and boy enter the forest... The boy looks like... Gin! Kanzaki's breath hitches as he realizes. He's getting a flashback of the past... It was like this back then... The girl is Fumiko... But then... It freezes and changes to a pitch black color. Akira appeared out of nowhere. "Stop it! Give up! You will die...!" she said, concern written all over her face. "I don't believe you... You're not Akira... You mimic..." Kanzaki says, backing off. Akira grits her teeth and transforms into a ghost. She smirks and grabs his face... It slowly gets pulled off... Blood was leaking everywhere...

Sora trembles as the Yurei walks to him. "Go away!" he yells. She stops and tilts her head. "Humans like you... Afraid? You have no meaning in life anyways," she says, grinning. "I promised... To help him... So what are you... Talking about, you monster?!" he yells, giving her a death stare. The Yurei smiles before Erina and Satoshi appeared. "Finally, i got rid of that nuisance," Erina says, rolling her eyes. Satoshi smirks as he sees Sora. "Now come... Or I'll make you..." he mumbles. Erina: "You even dared to go with that boy... Too bad... He's dead after all," she says, a sadistic smile on her face. Sora gulps as Satoshi stands in front of him. "Just come along... It wont hurt much, Sora..." he informs, smiling at him. Sora shakes his head. "I'm not going! I'm staying here until Kanzaki comes!" he yells, arguing. Satoshi frowns. "You've changed... Not even listening to me..." he says, veins popping out of his neck. Sora takes a deep breath. "I'll show you what you did to me..." Sora says before he turns into a devil... He looked exactly like Astaroth. "Do you see it now, father? This is what I am now, something I never wanted to be. I'm human, what do you not understand?" he asks, his voice deep and cold.

Kanzaki wakes up... This was the same place where he fell into. He looks around after he stood up. He looks at his hand, which was filled with something slimy... It was dark, but then... An eye appeared out of it. Kanzaki stares in confusion and then looks at it. The eye had an crimson red color. It looked like Reina's eye... "Can you hear me?" a voice asks. It came from the eye. "Yeah, I do," Kanzaki answers. "Very well then, walk to the left and open the door. You will find yourself in a mansion. If you head to room 4 you will find the people there. Come back to the entrance of Harajuku after you killed them," it says before vanishing. He walks to the left and suddenly bumps into something... It was the door. He opens it and finds himself in a mansion, just like the eye said. He searches for room 4... It wasn't here at all... He looks again and notices that room 4 was on the other side, next to room 17. He opens it, just to find Satoshi, Erina, A Yurei and... A devil. Kanzaki studies the devil for a bit... "Sora... Is that you...?" he asks, not believing it. "It's me... I'm a monster now, Kanzaki..." Sora says, tears sliding down his cheeks.

"Sora..." Kanzaki says, the words stuck in his throat. "No... You're human, Sora. Just like me," Kanzaki says, sighing after. "Really... Don't you see me now? Do I look like a human being?" Sora asks. "Sora... It's not about your appearance! You have a heart of gold, a heart a good human being has, Sora! Even if you look like a monster, you're still human after all! You're my friend... I will be your shield and spear anytime, even if you're a monster!" Kanzaki yells, his voice loud and clear. Satoshi clenches his fist. "Thank you... For accepting me..." Sora says before bowing. Sora turns to Erina. "Black magic... Technique 1... Maximum power... Vortex of Predition...!!!" he yells as a vortex appears behind Erina... The water all got pulled into it... Purple shadows came out of the vortex, grabbing Erina and Satoshi. They went in it... The vortex shrinked and disappeared. The Yurei was in shock. "It's time for the final act..." she said, her face fully red.

The Yurei screams, calling all the ghosts. They all gathered... "Make sure the dead survives!" The Yurei yells before the ghosts leave the room. Sora laughs... "So the dead is somewhere in the forest, huh?" he asks. The Yurei gasps... "The dead is somewhere else... Hidden... You wont find it anyways," she says. Kanzaki: "What's your real name?" The Yurei looks at him. "Yumin Naomi," she answers. Sora's eyes widen. "You're Yumin...?" he asks, confused. The Yurei laughs. "Too bad... I'm a monster... So I'll have to kill you...!" she says after she teleported behind Sora. ''Kanzaki! You go and find the dead!'' Sora yells. Kanzaki leaves the room. After a few seconds, the Yurei starts growling. Sora looks at her. "I have no choice either..." he says as he punched her... His fist went through her body. "I'll do it the hard way then..." Sora mumbles, backing off. "Try me..." she answers, daring him to go all out.

Kanzaki has entered countless rooms, but didn't find anything yet. He goes upstairs... It led him to a ladder. He climbs it and finds himself in the forest again. He sees arrows... They weren't here back then... Did he have to go east just like the arrows pointed at or was it a trap...? Kanzaki decides to head east. He stops after he hears voices. "You have to stay there, so go back... NOW!!!" a deep voice said. "But... Yumin...!" a feminine voice argued... "Stop talking back and let's go home," a masculine voice replied, annoyed. "That's right Momo, we should head back for our own safety. Yumin will be alright," another feminine voice reassured, even though she sounded scared of someone or something. "You both listen well... I'm grateful you're not like her..." the deep voice said, a hint of anger in his voice. "I'm sorry..." the feminine voice said before they stopped talking. Footsteps faded in the distance, leaving Kanzaki there.

Sora stares at the Yurei. "What do you want to destroy this village for...?" he asks as he sits down. The Yurei chuckles. "Orders are things I have to do, so I'll destroy," she answers, looking down on him. Sora closes his eyes. The Yurei takes the chance and tries to pull his head off... It didn't budge at all... "What are you doing...?" Sora asks, opening his eyes. The Yurei's breath hitches as she notices. "I can pull your heart out y'know... No wonder you're defying me, a monster stronger than your owner..." he says, the room getting filled with fog. The Yurei manages to see through the fog. "Black magic won't affect me. I've mastered all the 6 techniques already. I'm immune to it," she says, smirking. "I'm not using black magic," Sora answers. The Yurei frowns. "Well, I don't care, you wont beat me anyw-..." before she can finish her sentence, Sora pulls her head off. "Is this the way you kill humans? It looks like an awesome decoration for the forest..." he says, smiling as his yellow eyes start glowing in the dark. Now Kanzaki can finish it... I'll head to Reina.

Kanzaki carefully follows the path that the people took. Villagers weren't on the ground anymore, as if they vanished. It hasn't been long either... The full red moon still hung there. Kanzaki hears rustling coming from the bushes. He quickly turns around. "Who's there...?" he asks, his voice lower than a whisper. No one came out... It felt strange. Someone or something was definitely there, waiting for him. Kanzaki backs off but bumps into someone... When he looks behind him, it was Akuma. He freezes. "Where are you going?" she asks, leaning closer to him. "There... Were... Uh... Some people went that way... I'm following them," he says. Kanzaki just noticed that the girl they found in the laboratory was on Akuma's back. Akuma's eyes glisten and she nods. "Lead the way. However, I can't help you with killing the dead," she informs. Kanzaki continues walking east. He looks at Akuma. "You said you were the destroyer of the universe... What did you mean by that?" Kanzaki asks. Akuma sighs. "I can destroy universes, that's why I exist in the first place. It's the wrong choice... So I didn't do it," she explains. Kanzaki feels uneasy. "No wonder... You look like you just came from the galaxy," he jokes, pointing at her looks. "Might be true. I have no idea," she answers.

Sora looks at Reina as she appears. "You came faster than I expected," Sora says, smiling. "I was done killing anyways," she answers as she wipes blood off her axe. "Do you really trust him? He's just a child after all," she says. "He was the person the book told us about... The boy stands where darkness sprawls, a curse that echoes, a village that falls. With every step, the ghosts quake, he is the key the night will take... He's the one. He will do it, I have full trust in him," he says. Reina rolls her eyes. "Are you sure it's him?" she asks. Sora nods. He shows her a paper. There stood 'Accepted Yurei ritual by Gin Hoshiro' on it with a fancy handwriting. Reina's eyes widen. "His grandfather accepted it?! That means he's the one who let this whole Yurei curse exist in the first place! Shouldn't we get rid of h-..." she stops as Sora shakes his head. "He's the one who wrote it... The Yurei made a deal with him, or else he had to give his grandson... He chose for danger, not for betrayal... A wise man, you could say," Sora explains. "Now I understand..." Reina says as she puts her axe back in place. "Tell Haruki to come so I can hand him this for Kanzaki," Sora says, pointing at a camera next to him. Reina nods and sprints away.

Kanzaki and Akuma stop in front of a house. It looked old, the roof had holes in it. Akuma: "I'll wait for you." Before Kanzaki went in, Akuma smiled at him. "Sayonara..." Akuma says, her voice sounded like Akira's. Kanzaki waves as a goodbye and enters the house, the door closes on it's own. The place was dark, Kanzaki couldn't see anything. He touches the wall, just to find a light switch. He switches it on and the room lights up. There was a chainsaw on the ground, right next to the door. Lucky, I didn't touch it. Kanzaki sits down... His legs hurted from all that walking. Suddenly, the window breaks. Kanzaki looks at it... There was no one at all... Ugh, this whole forest is cursed... A wolf jumps on his lap. It was the same wolf that appeared from the bushes. "Who are you?" Kanzaki asks. "Haruki..." the wolf answered. Kanzaki freezes... Did it speak...? He looks at the wolf. "What are you doing here?" he asks. "I am the one who gives hints when you're lost," the wolf answers. Kanzaki yawns and looks back at the wolf. "You can sleep, I'll wake you up soon," the wolf says as he notices that Kanzaki is tired.

After exactly 20 minutes, the wolf taps on Kanzaki's shoulder. Kanzaki stirrs a bit and then wakes up. "It's time to continue, or else you'll be late," the wolf says. Kanzaki rubs his eyes and then stands up. "Search for anything useful first... Then I'll come to you," Haruki orders before he becomes invisible. Kanzaki stretches his arms and looks for tools he can use. He finds papers about devils but puts them back in place. He finds a knife... Can I even use it the right way? Kanzaki decides to take it. He throws it on the air and catches it. Guess I had hidden talents. He goes down to the basement and notices that the room is full of dirty water. The basement was huge, not like a normal one. "G-gahh..." Kanzaki says, a disgusted expression on his face. I'll have to do this... He takes a deep breath and dives in. The water was mint colored... Kanzaki notices that a ghost was under him. No, it was something else... It wasn't a ghost. The person tilts its head up, facing Kanzaki. "We finally see each other... Come here... My beloved son...'' It was Mio. Her eyes were yellow... She looked like a devil.

Kanzaki tries to get some fresh air and swims back up... Mio grabs his feet. "Don't leave me... I've been waiting years for this moment..." she pleads. Kanzaki opens his mouth to say something but remembers he's underwater. He tries to kick Mio but she also grabs his other feet. "Mphh..." Kanzaki mumbles, struggling to get above the water. "I'll take you down with me... So come..." Mio says, her eyes glowing. Kanzaki closes his eyes and lets Mio pull him down... I'm nothing without someone by my side... He opens his eyes again and looks at Mio. Sorry... I couldn't save you... Kanzaki hears a voice in his head. "You got this, Kanzaki! Don't you dare die because we're gone!" There were multiple voices. Then he sees them... Sora... Remi... Mio... Akira... Takahiro... They were standing there, right in front of him. Akira reaches her hand out to him. "Don't blame yourself... You're a strong person, Kanzaki. Follow your heart," she says, smiling at him. He touches her hand but doesn't shake it... They slowly vanish. Kanzaki's eyes open fully. He turns to Mio and grabs her face. He looks under him and notices how deep it was... He couldn't even see the end. Mio smirks and bites his hand. Kanzaki doesn't scream. He bites his bottom lip to hold back. Mio's smirk widens even more. "It's such an honor to see you struggle... Kanzaki, how do you feel about everyone dying for you, while you're doing nothing...? You're useless, Kanzaki. Don't you understand... They hate you, they wished they never sacrificed for someone like you!!!" Mio says, a sadistic smile on her face.

Kanzaki headbutts Mio, making her back off. "How dare you!" she yells as she rubs her forehead. She squints her eyes. Kanzaki decides to swim to the top while she's healing. Mio quickly notices and swims to him. Kanzaki grits his teeth. She's a lot faster than me... He looks down and notices that she could literally catch him. He tries to swim faster... But the water kept getting heavier... It made him drown. Mio: "Die... Please." Kanzaki holds onto Mio's arm. "Why... Are you doing this..." he asks, his voice muffled by the water. Mio looks at him with a confused face. "I can't hear you," she answers, leaning closer to him. Kanzaki looked at her with sleepy eyes. "Sorry..." he says before he sinks deeper... Mio catches him. "I'm supposed to kill you... Not you dying because of water," she says. Kanzaki's body felt light. Mio tries to eat him but then... Kanzaki takes out the knife from his pocket and stabs her. Mio coughs out blood and vanishes. Kanzaki holds the knife firmly and swims back to the top of the basement. When he arrives, he notices how soaked he was... He turns back one more time. "Farewell, mother," he says before leaving the basement.

Kanzaki's clothes felt heavy. He searches through every drawer and closet, but there wasn't anything useful. He sees stairs but... It felt like he's missing something here. It feels strange, this wasn't how it felt earlier. He takes a look at the basement again... The room was covered with steam. Something is in the water... He takes a look at it. He hears someone whistling. It came from the water... Just what was it... It can't be a ghost... Kanzaki crouches and touches the water with his fingertip. He quickly pulls back as he feels the heat. The whistling was heard again. Kanzaki tries to look if there's something in it but... He couldn't see it because of the color... Slowly it changed to a red color, almost like blood. He decides to dive in, once again. This time to find out the cause of the whistling and the color. Kanzaki takes a deep breath and dives into the water. Kanzaki sees something pink coming towards him... It was white, big and looked like a whale... He sees the eye of the beast right in front of him. The eyes were black, round and staring at him. It starts whistling again. The beast opened its mouth and Kanzaki went in...

Kanzaki holds onto one of the whales teeth as he tries to not slide into the whales' stomach. The teeths were rather sharp. Kanzaki nearly falls down, his hands are slippery. With all his might, he pushes himself up. The whale whistles again. Kanzaki squints his eyes as he realizes that he can't cover his ears. He looks around for a bit and then notices that the whales tongue was bleeding. There was a deep cut in it. Must hurt... I hope you get better soon... Kanzaki holds onto the teeth even tighter and tries to check how deep the wound is. His hand slips through the wound with ease. Kanzaki's eyes widen. How did it even get wounded... He pulls his hand back. It was fully covered in blood. Kanzaki wipes it off on his pants and waits until the whale opens his mouth. After a few moments... The whale finally opens his mouth... Kanzaki swims out of it and tries to reach the top... The mouth closes and the whale looks at Kanzaki. Kanzaki smiles at the whale and then disappears out of its sight.

Kanzaki slowly lets himself fall on the ground. He was tired from all those experiences. Haruki appears behind him again. "Took you long enough," Haruki said as he waits for Kanzaki to stand up. "Come on! Or else they will die!" Haruki says. Kanzaki stands up and walks to Haruki. Haruki gives him a camera. "I'll wait here until you're done," Haruki says before he lays down. Kanzaki gulps and nods after. He heads to the second floor. The lights were flickering... This place definitely was haunted. It's not like he can escape that easily. The room was filled with chairs, drinks and wine. Most of them were on the ground but others were there, as if they were new. He hears someone coughing. The door closes with a loud slam. Kanzaki looks around, trying to find someone. Just at that moment, Kanzaki feels someone's presence. Behind him. He couldn't move, he was scared. "W-what..." Kanzaki says, stuttering slightly. "We finally meet... I couldn't wait..." the person behind him says. "I always wanted to meet you... So I can continue my experiments now..." he says while hugging Kanzaki. Kanzaki lets the camera fall, suprised by the man.

Kanzaki flinches as the person hugs him. When he looks behind, there was a man behind him. The only thing Kanzaki saw were his eyes and hair. Both were green, which was weird. The man grabs Kanzaki's hands and slowly ties them up. "It's gonna be a nice experiment... Trust me..." the man said. "Incase... I'm Ayato and I... Will just take an IQ test... Be kind and just answer the questions, Kanzaki..." Ayato says, smirking, "Or you'll just have to face the consequences, sadly." Ayato starts whistling as he takes a knife out of his pocket. Kanzaki takes a deep breath to calm down and closes his eyes. The man chuckles, knowing that Kanzaki isn't scared anymore. "Impressive... No wonder you got this far. No one has ever done that, not even past the Yurei's house yet... Gin just killed Banji while he was asleep... Can't blame him..." Ayato informs as he leans closer to Kanzaki. Kanzaki's eyes were red, he was staring at the wall. "Oh... What happened..." Ayato asks before he notices... Kanzaki's eyes were fully red... Ayato steps back. "How did you get the 'Scarlet Eclipse' eyes... What an coincidence... So that's you huh?!" He says, trying to stab Kanzaki.

(The Scarlet Eclipse, or ''Eyes of Eternal Blood,'' was created by devils to choose mortal successors. These eyes awaken under a blood-red moon in those who have endured profound suffering and loss, their pure hearts marked by the Yurei... Those are spirits of despair. The eyes grant immense power tied to destruction and life, but at a terrible cost. The chosen are haunted by Yurei whispers, and with each use, they edge closer to becoming vessels for the devils. The Scarlet Eclipse is both a curse and a test, wielded by those destined to rewrite their fate... Or fall to darkness. The eyes only appear once in the successor's life, they stand for ''Eyes of the Victorious ones'')

Ayato smirks as Kanzaki's stomach bleeds. Suddenly, Haruki appears. He hands Kanzaki bandages and turns to Ayato. "Who are you to hurt him like that?!" Haruki yells. Ayato looks with a confused face. "A wolf that can talk... Weird," he says. Haruki grits his teeth and looks at Ayato. He starts drooling and sprints at Ayato, managing the bite his arm. "You-... Get off me!!!" Ayato yells, trying to throw Haruki away. Kanzaki quickly puts the bandage on his stomach, the bleeding stopped. Haruki jumps off Ayato and looks at Kanzaki. "Go to the attic! I'll handle him!" Haruki says, turning back to Ayato. Kanzaki's eyes turn back to normal and he leaves the room. There was another stair to the left. He heads there as he clutches his arm. He nearly falls as his feet twisted. He managed to grab the stair railing right on time. He stops for a bit and breathes... After some minutes, he regained his composure and opened the door...

Kanzaki sees four people in the attic. One of them was the devil Astaroth. Three kids were tied up behind Astaroth, 2 girls and a boy. The boy had grey hair and green eyes, he was sitting in the middle. The girl on the left had brown hair and hazel brown eyes... The one on the right was the girl Kanzaki met back then... Momosuke. Astaroth looks at him and crosses his arms. "What are you doing here?" he asks, gritting his teeth. "Leave them alone, what are you even doing?!" Kanzaki yells. Astaroth glares at him. "Watch your tone, kid..." he says. Astaroth claps with his hand and then... Two people arrive. One of them was a man with red hair and yellow eyes, the other person was a dark figure... There were torches on the wall, lighting up the room. Momosuke looks up and smiles. She points at Astaroth and gestures to one of the torches and then acts like she throws it. When Astaroth looks behind him, she quickly sits still like before. Kanzaki realizes that she wants him to take a torch and burn the house with it...

He frowns slightly. If I set it on fire... Wont she die too? Kanzaki notices that the dark figure was in front of him. The person pushed Kanzaki to Astaroth roughly. Astaroth looked at Kanzaki. "You had the nerve to run away... You were supposed to be my feast, not a chicken..." he says, grabbing Kanzaki's head. The girl with brown curly hair looks up and has a worried look on her face. Kanzaki gestures them to try and free theirselves while Astaroth and his servants are focused on him. The boy had sharp teeth and bit the tie off with ease. He slowly crawls to Momosuke and helps her. The other girl managed to twist the tie and shred it. Kanzaki grins. The boy stands up, his moves slow and deliberate. Kanzaki throws Momosuke's knife to her, Astaroth not even noticing. "Why are you not afraid... I can take your life right here, right now..." Astaroth says, growling. "Because... I promised to stay alive, so I'll never die... Especially not in your hands, devil," Kanzaki says, laughing.

Momosuke hands the knife over to the boy but then... The dark figure puts his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Looks like our slaves got a goal," he says, snatching the knife away. Kanzaki grits his teeth, veins popping out of his neck. The boy's eyes widened but he quickly turned around and punched the figure. The figure backed off, dizzy because of the punch. The boy stood up and pulled Momosuke and the other girl with him. The boy: "Stay there..." Momosuke and the girl nodded. He took one of the torches and threw it to Kanzaki, he catches it and gestures them to leave the room. Momosuke and the girl stand up. The boy held the door open, waiting for them. Banji appeared behind him and hit the boy's neck with the side of his hand. The boy fell on the ground, Momosuke and the girl freezed. "Zakiko, the knife!" Momosuke yelled as she turned to the girl. The girl hands her the knife the figure had. Momosuke rushes at Banji and stabs him several times in the stomach. "Die!!!" she yells, her voice loud and clear. Banji puts his hand on his stomach and leans on the wall. Momosuke and Zakiko lift the boy and head downstairs...

Kanzaki lets the torch fall on the ground, the fire spreading rapidly. The heat was burning Kanzaki, but he kept standing. Astaroth starts screaming. The dark figure vanished. Kanzaki looks at Astaroth. "Does it really hurt? You've done a lot worse... Just go back to hell," Kanzaki says, clenching his fists. Astaroth falls on the ground, his body getting divided in half. "Those who look down on others... Will never be accepted, by nothing other than death!!!" Kanzaki yells, his heart rate quickening. The fire kept spreading, covering the entire room. Kanzaki tries to go to the door, but the fire covers it fully. He looks around but... He couldn't escape. "Kanzaki!" a feminine voice yelled. "What?" Kanzaki answered. The person was outside. "Just run with all your might! It wont matter if the fire burns you!" the girl yells. Kanzaki takes a deep breath and sprints... After a few moments, he opens his eyes and notices that Momosuke was standing there. She let a bucket of water fall on him. Kanzaki shivers because of the cold water. "Fast, we have to get out of here!" Momosuke says as she grabs his hand and heads downstairs with him. Kanzaki looks at the room where Haruki was in while they passed... Is he okay? He quickly shakes the thoughts off his mind and focuses on escaping.

Haruki was on the ground, his body covered in blood. Ayato looks at him. "You ruined it... Because of you..." Ayato says, his eyes turning into a deep blue color. Haruki tries to stand up but falls down. Ayato sits down in front of him. "You're not smarter than him... But it's worth it," he says, inspecting Haruki. Haruki squints his eyes and tries to turn around but can't. Ayato grabs his ear and puts pressure on it. "Who are you, huh? Just barging in like that..." he said, giving him a death stare. Ayato notices that the door was set on fire now... He opens the window and jumps out of it, leaving Haruki there. He looks at the door and slowly closes his eyes. "I was... Just a sacrifice after all," he says, sighing in relief. "You can turn into a human being now..." a voice said, echoing in Haruki's head. The fire entered the room... As Haruki got burnt. Haruki's eyes opened and he quickly realizes that he wasn't done yet. He jumps out of the window and turns into a boy wearing a blue kimono with purple flowers on it, white short hair, blue eyes and a kitsune mask on the upper side of his head. He smiles as he sees Ayato.

"I wont back off... Not yet," Haruki says, walking to Ayato. Ayato rubs his eyes and looks at Haruki again. "You're the wolf?" he asks. Haruki nods. "Yeah, that's me," he answers. Ayato grins. "Another one of those 'mythical' creatures, huh?" he says, trying to rage bait Haruki. Haruki stays quiet. "Honored to meet you, psychopath," Haruki says, smiling at him. Ayato clenches his fist and rushes at Haruki... Ayato punched Haruki's stomach but... Haruki didn't feel anything at all. It was like Ayato hit a wall instead. Haruki opens his mouth, revealing his silver sharp teeth. He bites Ayato's elbow and tries to shred his limb off. Ayato screams in pain. "LET GO OF ME, YOU MONSTER!!!" Haruki managed to pull his elbow off his arm. He spits blood out his mouth and howls. "This time... Harajuku wont fall... No one will die anymore... ITS OUR VICTORY!!!" Haruki yells, his voice echoing through the forest. Ayato leans on a wall, but before he even notices... Akuma pulled his head off... When she let go, his body fell on the ground. She threw his head far away, the head was now out of their sight. Kanzaki runs to Haruki. Momosuke and Zakiko came after, the boy in Zakiko's arms. "Haruki... You did what you could, I'm so proud of you... Now you can go back, your family is waiting, Haruki. Goodbye!" Akuma says, smiling at him. Haruki tears up. "Thank you, everyone," he said before he walked to Kanzaki. "Good luck... You got this now, Kanzaki," Haruki motivates before he pulls Akuma and Kanzaki in a tight hug. Haruki takes the mask on the side of his face off and hands it to Kanzaki. "Please keep it," Haruki said, revealing a scar on the side of his face. He looks up and then slowly vanishes into bits, going in the air. Kanzaki traces his fingers over the mask... I'll protect it with all my heart... He hears someone sobbing, when he looks to the side, he notices Akuma was crying. She wasn't sad though... Those were tears of joy.

Momosuke and Zakiko put the boy down. Akuma said she had things to do, so she left. Kanzaki looks at Momosuke. "What's his name?" he asks. Momosuke: "Yoshika is his name." Zakiko sits down. "What's left to do now?" she asks. Momosuke wanted to say something but she didn't. "What's wrong?" Zakiko asks, looking at Momosuke. "Nothing, just a bit tired," Momosuke answers. Kanzaki sighs in relief. "Now... Well, I have no idea when he wakes up," he says, looking at Yoshika. "He isn't asleep. He's just unconscious... For now," Zakiko answers, rolling her eyes. She remembers that the knife was still in her hand and inspects it. "Momosuke... Where did you get this from?" Zakiko asks, frowning. Momosuke stays silent... Her face darkens. Kanzaki stares at Zakiko but then takes the knife. He gives it back to Momosuke. "If you're holding something as dangerous as this... It must be precious," he says. He turns back to Zakiko. Kanzaki: "It might be better if you don't even ask about it. It's her life after all." Zakiko nods and looks away. Momosuke smiles after she had the knife in her hand. Kanzaki remembers that Momosuke gave him a knife back then. "This was yours too... Wasn't it?" he says before taking the knife out of his pocket. Momosuke shakes her head and puts it back in his pocket. "That's Akuma's knife," she answers. Kanzaki's eyes widen. "What do you mean?" he asks. "Everyone who isn't human has them... And yeah, I'm not a human being, neither is Akuma... Zakiko, Sora and Yoshika are," she answers, her voice clear. Yoshika wakes up and blinks multiple times.

Yoshika: "Where are we...?" Kanzaki looks at him. "The forest," he answers. Zakiko crouches next to Yoshika. "Are you okay?" she asks, concern written all over her face. Yoshika nods and stands up. He looks at Kanzaki and reaches out his hand. "Yoshika, nice to meet you!" he says, smiling as Kanzaki shook his hand. Kanzaki walks away as he notices that the fire kept spreading. The others were following him. "Where are we going?" Momosuke asks. "Back to Harajuku. The dead is probably there... Now," he answers. Zakiko: "Do you know who it is?" Kanzaki shakes his head. "Not yet... But I already have a clue of who it could be," Kanzaki answers, gritting his teeth. "Is it someone you know?" Zakiko asks again, leaning closer to him. Kanzaki nods. "Yeah... Someone I know... Pretty well," he answers his face darkening again. Zakiko puts her hand on this shoulder. "Are you gonna do it alone or... Do you need our help?" Yoshika asks, trying to change the subject a bit. "I'll do it alone. Don't even come in... Just try to find people and bring them to a safe place. That's all I ask of you three..." Kanzaki says. He sees the entrance of the forest. "Alright... Do what I told you to, don't follow me," he says as he turned around. He looked at all of them for a bit again and then left.

I should've thought about it before... That time me and Akira went home... Mother was praying. I could see... A photo of Gin was in the room, as if he was dead. I was confused but... Now I finally understand. Gin is the dead. I never expected it but, turns out nightmares are the definition of reality. I wish it wasn't true, I wanted to live a normal life... With everyone who's precious to me... Even though I'm a distant person... I still care about them. Akira made me open up to the world but... What was the cost? Her death? I wonder why they took it away from me. Because of this stupid curse, I lost them all. I still have to kill him, I'll do it without hesitation. He's dead anyways, it wont matter if he died once again. I'll even risk it for my life, if I need to. It's been such a while since I lost someone. Ever since my father left, of course. I can't believe I left Akira like that... I'm such an fool... I let someone that precious to me die... If she was alive, would she forgive me? I don't know, all those questions can't be answered. They're dead, they wont ever come back. Why did the Yurei even exist, in the first place? Wasn't it supposed to save Harajuku? Why did it destroy? It chose violence... Even though I have no idea why. Did the experiments fail? Or was it just... By choice? Kanzaki kept thinking about it. It just wouldn't leave his mind. He continued running, his legs didn't stop. He stops in front of Gin's house. The scent of flowers and old art came right to him. He takes a deep breath and opens the door... It was unlocked but then... The scent of blood filled the house...

Kanzaki opened all the doors, trying to find Gin. He enters the living room, to his suprise, Gin was there munching on something... Kanzaki sees a head rolling to him. It was Takahiro's head... Kanzaki's eyes widen. He takes a step back. His breath came in ragged gasps... He wanted to go, but he knew he couldn't. Gin slowly tilted his head up, looking at Kanzaki. "Hey... Nice to see you again," he says, patting the place next to him. Kanzaki gulps, scared that he will die too. Gin looks at the meat and then back to him. "Oh... I forgot..." he says before he puts the meat away and walks back to Kanzaki. He traces Kanzaki's face with his fingers. "You've grown a lot... Is it a good time to eat you yet... Or... Do I have to wait?" Gin asks, a sadistic smile on his face. Kanzaki pushes him away and tries to open the door so he can escape but... It was locked. "My my... No way you just tried to escape... That isn't possible... Especially when I'm here..." Gin says, standing up. Kanzaki tries again to open the door but the doorknob didn't budge at all. His hart starts beating faster as Gin gets closer. I have no other choice... Kanzaki takes out the knife. "Don't you get closer..." he says... It was a clear warning.

Momosuke, Zakiko and Yoshika were looking for people that needed help. "Who do you think Kanzaki meant...?" Zakiko asks. Yoshika: "I have no damn idea... Maybe a friend or a relative." Momosuke's eyes light up. "Guys! Over here!" she says, as she tried to pull someone out. "There's someone here!" Momosuke said, gesturing Yoshika and Zakiko to come and help. The person's hand was little, as if it was a child. Yoshika moved the rocks with all his might and it worked. Momosuke and Zakiko slowly pulled the person out. It was a girl, she has 2 little blonde pigtails and a blue ripped dress. Her sky blue eyes were glowing and a bit of her face was covered in dirt. "Are you okay?" Yoshika asks as he looks at the little girl. She has a look of unease on her face but then slowly walks to Yoshika. She holds her hands up as if she wanted him to lift her. When he did that, she pointed under some rocks. "Mom!" she said. Momosuke and Zakiko look at the rocks. They see blood under it when they try to push the rocks away... Momosuke falls on her knees. "Yoshika... S-she's dead..," Momosuke says as she sees a woman fully covered in blood. Yoshika turns around, making sure the girl can't see. "Hey, I'll take care of you from now on... Okay?" Yoshika says, his face softening. Zakiko and Momosuke take out the body and brings it somewhere else. "What's your name...?" Yoshika asks, looking at the girl with his green eyes. "Nina!" the girl says, smiling. "Where's mom?" Nina asks. Yoshika took a deep breath. "She's... In a better place now, don't worry about it," he answers, hugging her so she couldn't see his tears.

Gin came closer to Kanzaki. He looked at Kanzaki with his grey eyes. Kanzaki freezes but then... When he opens his eyes, he notices that he stabbed Gin. Gin fell on the ground, not breathing anymore... He slowly vanished. "I'm sorry," Gin said before his face also disappeared. Kanzaki looks at Takahiro's dead body. He crouches... "May you rest well..." Kanzaki says before he stood up and left the living room. He closed all the doors, but then Akuma appeared. "Make a wish... Remember, I can't bring someone back to life forever or rebuild something. So what will it be, Kanzaki?" she asked, smiling. Kanzaki hesitated but then spoke. "I want to see Akira, I just want to talk to her for a bit, please," he answers. Akira appeared, her wounds weren't there. She smiled at him. "Konnichiwa, Kanzaki... How are you doing?" she asked, her blue eyes bright. "Good... How about you?" he answered. "Fine... There's something I've been wanting to tell you..." she says, looking away. "I know it's late but... I like you, Kanzaki... So those are probably my last words... I love you, Kanzaki. I always will," Akira said before disappearing. Kanzaki fell on his knees... His heart was beating rapidly. There was always this weird feeling in my stomach... I like you too, Akira. He stands up and turns to Akuma. "Thank you, I appreciate it," he says, bowing. Akuma waves and vanished after. Kanzaki leaves the house. It's all over... We can finally start... A new life... A new... Village... Kanzaki thought before he fell on the ground. It was cold outside... He heard the sirens coming closer... Everything became blurry... "Take him! Look for other wounded people!" Were the last words Kanzaki heard before he fell in a deep slumber... He got lifted and put on a bed...

Yoshika saw people coming to him. There were doctors and police officers. One of the doctor quickly approached him. He handed him a blanket for Nina, which was suprisingly asleep. Yoshika wrapped the blanket around Nina and followed the doctors. "Are there any other people?" one of the doctors asked. "Yes... 4 other people," Yoshika answers. "Two of them in the forest... And... The other two will come back soon... They went to... Look for something," Yoshika answers. After a few moments, Yoshika learned some of the doctors' names. The one who talked the most to Yoshika was Maiko, who was a female genius at healing. Another kind person was Daisuke. He was a male who was doctor and CEO of a huge company. Nina was brought to a car, she was next to Kanzaki. Momosuke and Zakiko came back after a bit... And then Sora also came. He had no wounds, and looked pretty much like a normal human being. The firefighters took care of the fire in the forest and Akuma was hiding somewhere. Reina came right after Sora, her axe wasn't on her back this time. She looked like a high school girl without the axe. "Were those all the people?" Daisuke asked. Yoshika nodded. "We'll need you to come with us for a bit, after some days, you will live here again. Just trynna see if there's anything dangerous left," one of the officers said, smiling at them. Yoshika, Momosuke and Zakiko both give each other a high-five. Harajuku will be a peaceful village again! They all thought of it, right at the same time.

Reina and Sora stayed awake the whole night. "Are they going to rebuild Harajuku? Also, where's Akuma...?" Reina asked, crossing her arms. Sora: "Yeah, they said they will be done in a few weeks, since it isn't a big village anyways. Akuma already granted someone a wish, she's gone now. It was the third time, so she's dead." Reina nodded. "Will you live in Harajuku?" she asked, looking at him with her red eyes. Sora rolls his eyes. "Of course I will. I'm not leaving them alone. They're... My friends," he answers. Reina looks at him. "Did the girl who was used for making ghosts survive?" she asked. Sora: "No, she's dead." Reina's nods and lightly slaps him. "Atleast apologize for sending my beautiful axe to a whole other dimension, idiot!" she yells, pouting. "It's not my problem, you have to live a normal life now. Stop being an assassinator," he says, patting her head before he left the room. Reina sits there, trying to know what he just did. "I'M NOT A PUPPY!!!" she yells, her voice echoing through the empty halls of the hospital. She heard Sora chuckling. Reina stood up and also left the room.

A month later... Kanzaki and Sora were sitting on a bench outside, looking at the river. Kanzaki was looking at the mask Haruki gave him. Harajuku was rebuilt, the buildings looked a lot better. As if it was a new village now, it was quiet. After a few minutes, Momosuke, Zakiko and Reina came. "Where's Yoshika?" Kanzaki asked. "He will come soon," Zakiko answered. Momosuke was holding a picnic basket. "Time for a great evening!" she said, her eyes shining. Yoshika came after Momosuke and Zakiko found a place. Nina was on Yoshika's back, her hair was a bit longer than the last time. She had a half-up ponytail and was wearing a purple skirt this time. "The princess arrives!" Yoshika said as he put her on the table. Sora and Kanzaki both laugh. Reina stares at Nina, but when Nina looks at her she turns around. "Who are you?" Nina asked. Reina looked at her again. "My name is Reina," Reina answers. "Leina!" Nina says as she smiles. "No its... Reina," Reina says again, her voice clear. "Leina!" Nina says again, chuckling. Reina gives up and sits next to Zakiko. "Who's grilling?" Momosuke asks. Kanzaki and Sora both stand up. After a while, they were finally done. Nina stands up and was about to jump off the table. Yoshika's eyes widened and he quickly catched her, his stomach hit the side of the table. He grunts before putting Nina on his lap. "Zakiko, did you bring it?" he asks. Zakiko nods and puts a box on the table. "Let's welcome this little girl," Momosuke says before she opens the box, revealing a cake. It was topped with cherries and strawberries. The name 'Nina' was written on it and there were edible flowers made out of sugar on the sides of the cake. "Welcome, Nina!" everyone yelled in unison.

It was a long day... Everyone was tired, but Nina was still playing tag with Yoshika. Kanzaki looked at Sora and the others. "It feels nice... To see this again, everyone's living in peace," Kanzaki says, smiling. Sora nods. "You did such a great job, now we should just enjoy our lives," he says. Reina slaps Sora lightly. "Bring my axe back when you can," she orders. "I can't bring it back, do you want me to die?" he answers, his voice lower than a whisper. Reina leans closer to him "What did you say?" she asks. "I said I'll do it, when I can," he answers, grinning. Reina nods and walks to Nina. "Leina!" Nina yelled as soon as she saw Reina. She hugged her leg, the height difference was a bit too much. Reina crouched and ruffled Nina's hair. Nina looked at her for a bit and then went back to Yoshika. They were all laughing... A dark figure behind a tree was grinning... ''It isn't over yet... Just watch...'' it said before disappearing...

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The end... Or is it?

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The end... Or is it?

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