Minami’s POV

 

I want Haruna back but… I can’t trust that Miyazawa…

 

I was walking through the woods, with Furukawa beside me.

 

I looked behind her. It felt sad that her, of all people, had to be involved with demon business. I wanted to help end this madness but.. what if Haruna…

 

No… she’s definitely up to something.

 

I need to be ready ready if she plans to double-cross me. I turned towards Furukawa, grasped her wrists tightly, and pinned her to the ground.

 

“Let me go!”

 

“No! You can’t do this. Remember who you are!”

 

I held her head and spoke a few words, making her eyes widen, before she became unconscious on the ground.

 

I leaned over and whispered in her ear, “You must ignore Miyazawa’s destructive demands and continue on with your life, with Takayanagi Akane and everyone else you hold dear to you.”

 

I snapped my fingers and she woke up.

 

“Huh….? W-What’s going on…?”

 

“Welcome back, Furukawa-san.”

 

“Eh? Who are you..?”

 

“Let’s just say, I’m someone Miyazawa wants for her revenge on Takayanagi-san.”

 

“Miyazawa… Why does she want you?”

 

“My name is Minegishi Minami. I have a power known as dream manipulation.”

 

“Dream… manipulation…?”

 

“Basically, I have the power to alter people’s realities through their dreams.”

 

“Woah… Did you…?”

 

“Yes. In order to reverse the hypnosis, I had to put a different trigger in so it would undo Miyazawa’s commands. Now we need to reunite you with Takayanagi before she finds you.”

 

“Okay. Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome. I’m actually in a bit of a problem myself.”

 

“E-Eh?”

 

“I need to find Takayanagi myself, I want to reunite with someone.”

 

“Let me go with you. There’s a lot I need to talk with her about.”

 

I looked in her eyes. They were filled with honesty and innocence.

 

“Okay. Take me to her.”

 

Meanwhile…

 

Akane’s POV

 

I’m finally back on Earth, it might be the only chance I get with reuniting with her.

 

But, first, I should find Jurina. I need to return Rena to her and Airin.

 

I went back to the village and arrived at Jurina and Airin’s home. I looked in the window and Airin wasn’t there. However, Jurina kept glancing out of the window to see if Airin was there.

 

I knocked on the door and she let me inside.

 

“Akane!” She had enveloped me in a hug, “Where’s Airin….?”

 

“I don’t know. Help me lay Rena down.”

 

She helped me carry Rena on the couch and then we needed to figure what to do from there.

 

“We need to find Airin.”

 

“But where could she be? I haven’t seen her since...”

 

“I know, I know.” I sat down on the couch. “I miss her...”

 

“Me too...”

 

This was going to be rough search, with both Miyazawa and Tsugumi out there looking for me, they must have Airin somehow.

 

“Jurina, this is going to be difficult but you have to trust me.”

 

“E-Eh?”

 

“We need to separate and pick off Miyazawa and Tsugumi one at a time.”

 

“Wait, you want me to fight them?!”

 

“Yes, it’s the only way to get her back!”

 

“Fine…”

 

“Go look after Rena, I’m out for some blood.”

 

Meanwhile….

 

Third Person POV

 

Sae was by herself, looking out for Akane, in case she was out to attack her.

 

“That girl… why does she care for a human? Love is a worthless emotion...”

 

Emerging from the shadows was someone she had not necessarily expected. It was Black, a legendary assassin. Sae happened to know her through a coincidental meeting.

 

“Miyazawa. I was looking for you.”

 

“You…! I knew you were up to something!”

 

“Tsk, I knew you were bound to say that. What are you up to this time?”

 

“None of your business.”

 

“You’re so ignorant, Sae. Let’s face it. You want Takayanagi dead so you can have power, correct?”

 

“... I can’t say…”

 

“You still couldn’t let her go, could you?”

 

“E-Eh?”

 

“Sayaka. Ever since the incident, you’ve become like this.”

 

Sae’s eyes widened as she speeded up to the assassin and grabbed her collar.

 

“How dare you!”

 

“Why did you change, Sae?” she said, now saying her first name. “You used to be so different, until she--”

 

“Be quiet! I never want anything to do with you again.”

 

“Sae...”

 

“Yuki, I’m sorry if I said anything to offend you. I… I just miss her too much to let go.”

 

Flashback, 4 years ago…

 

“Sae, come on!” a young girl exclaimed to her friend, who was behind her.

 

“I’m coming, Sayaka! Wait for me!”

 

The two girls laughed and smiled as they played together in the playground in a nearby park. They were the only ones there but they were also having fun by themselves.

 

“Hey, come over here!” Sayaka yelled as Sae hurried over to her.

 

“What is it?”

 

“This...”

 

The two happened to stumble upon a bright yellow object.

 

“It’s so shiny...”

 

“What do you think it is?”

 

“I’m not sure, but...”

 

“Do you think we should touch it, Sayaka?”

 

“What? Are you sure?”

 

“I’m quite sure, Sayaka, let’s try!” Sae then grabbed the object.

 

When she did, it suddenly glowed brightly and cracked open, causing a black spirit to come out of it.

 

“What is that thing?!”

 

“I don’t know but whatever it is, we need to run from it.”

 

But before they could run, a hand grabbed Sae’s neck.

 

“You’re mine, child.”

 

“S-Sayaka..!”

 

“Sae! I’m NOT leaving you!”

 

“Sayaka, I...”

 

The being then grabbed Sayaka. “You’re not leaving my sight either.”

 

“Let her go!”

 

“Not unless you give yourself to me.”

 

“Sae, don’t! I can’t lose you!”

 

“I can’t lose you either, Sayaka.”

 

“It’s your choice, give yourself to me, or lose your friend.”

 

“I…” Sae looked at Sayaka, who was near tears.

 

“I’ll do anything for Sae’s safety.”

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t take Sae! Take me instead!”

 

“Sayaka, no!”

 

“Very well, if that’s your choice.” The being had slowly started walking to Sayaka.

 

“Sayaka, please...”

 

“Don’t worry, Sae. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

 

“But--”

 

“Just know that I love you, okay?”

 

“Sayaka, I--” Before she could say anything else, the being grabbed Sayaka and picked her up in the air.

 

“Your soul is mine!”

 

The demonic creature began consuming a white energy coming from Sayaka. After it had finished, it threw her lifeless body on the ground.

 

“SAYAKA!!!” Sae ran over to her, shaking her and trying to wake her up. “Sayaka, Sayaka, wake up! Please! Don’t leave me!!!”

 

There was no answer. Instead, the demonic creature started to walk towards her.

 

“No… you killed her…. I loved her, and you...”

 

“Next is you~”

 

“No…. NO!!!!!”

 

With that shout, suddenly a ring of fire surrounded Sae.

 

“Go away… Go back to Hell and never come back!!!”

 

End of Flashback

 

“That’s why you became like this...”

 

“It’s all painful. If I hadn’t had let her sacrifice herself…”

 

“Sae, it wasn’t your fault.”

 

“It was, I know it was. I should’ve died, not Sayaka.”

 

“Don’t say that...” Black held Sae’s face and looked in her eyes. “I know you feel guilty for that moment, but--”

 

“It doesn’t matter,” Sae made her let go. “I’ll get her back, soon.”

 

“No. You can’t do that. If you do--”

 

“I don’t care what happens to me. I’ll have Sayaka and everything will be like it used to.”

 

“You do remember the last war, right? I nearly killed you after your rampage, killing thousands of innocent humans.”

 

“I don’t care!” Sae’s voice was filled with rage. “I don’t care what you think! I don’t care what ANYONE thinks!”

 

*Plak!*

 

“Sae! Think this through, would she want you to do all this just for her?” Black almost screamed at Miyazawa. Sae only stood there in disbelief.  

 

“Y-Yuki…”

 

“Sayaka never wanted this to happen, no-one did.”

 

“But...”

 

“Sae, please, you have to let it go. It’s the only way you can move on and go back to being who you used to be.”

 

“I-I can’t. I feel so…. Alive….”

 

“Sae--”

 

“Just go away!” Sae pushed the assassin to the ground. “I have business to take care of, and it doesn’t involve you.”

 

“No!” Before Yuki could do anything, Sae disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

 

“Sae…”

 

“Well, this looks like a problem.”

 

Yuki looked up and saw a familiar figure sitting in the trees.

 

“Mayu...”

 

“Hi, Yukirin,” the mage dropped down from the branch and smiled. “How’s work, Mama?”

 

“I told you too many times already, I’m not your Mama.”

 

“Yukirin is my favorite Mama~” she hugged the assassin.

 

“You’re being stubborn again, you little mouse.”

 

“But I’m your favorite mouse, right?”

 

“Oh, Nezumi, you little bandit, you know you’ve always had my heart from the beginning.”

 

“And, Black, you make me feel like I’ve died and gone to Heaven every moment I’m with you,” she said before pecking her cheek. “The others miss you, y’know. You can come back… with me.”

 

“Sorry… I can’t go back. This is where I belong now.”

 

Mayu pouted again. “Oh, okay, but still, come and visit at least every once in a while. It gets lonely.”

 

“Alright, alright,” Yuki patted the mouse’s head.

 

“Speaking of, that was Miyazawa, right? What is she up to?”

 

“She’s trying to revive the dead.”

 

Mayu’s gaze grew dark. “A forbidden spell? That could cost her life, doesn’t she know that?”

 

“Her mind’s been clouded with desire and lust. A deadly sin, yes. But that means we have to stop her at all costs.”

 

“We’re not the only ones trying to stop her though, Yukirin~”

 

“E-Eh?”

 

“Takayanagi. She and her friends are trying to stop Miyazawa as she had controlled her closest demon friend.”

 

“Iwanaga? What would Miyazawa want to do with her?”

 

“You don’t realise that Tsugumi-chan is one of the demon’s best strategists, now that Sae has her under her control, Sae’s plans could work. This could also mean that she could use Tsugumi’s strategies to betray the other demons.”

 

Yuki gave a serious gaze. “Mayu, you need to find Takayanagi. Do you know where she is?”

 

“She lives with Furukawa Airi and her friend, Matsui Jurina now.”

 

“Go and get them. I’ll see what I can do about tracking Sae down.”

 

“Alright, but please be safe.”

 

“Un. You too.”

 

The two gave each other a hug before going their separate ways.

 

“Sae, I promise I’ll get you back to the way you used to be.”

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