10Chapter 13
"You don't have to tell me. Get the detective back here, you hear!?" He said to him.
Neuro grinned and left the office.
"What y-you're trying to say...is that...you're assistant...was actually a demon from hell and your boss!?" Kanae said with a face of disbelief.
"It's really hard to believe, isn't it? hehe" Yako said nervously.
Kanae sighed and looked at him dearly. "And you didn't tell me this whole time"
Yako was surprised and it was her turn to look in disbelief. "You really believed it?"
"Of course. I always knew there was something shady on that assistant of yours. He always looked shady to me. He's like a shadow always on your side. I told you I'm your bestfriend for years" She looked at the sky. "No wonder you were always nervous and acting weird whenever he calls you or beside you." She said in surrender still looking at the cloudy night sky. "First, Yako and now this?"
"Kanae, I could hear you, you know?" Yako said insulted and thought if her bestfriend really looked at her as a monster being pointed to her for the second time.
"And base on the story you told me earlier, he always protected you in all of you cases and I bet all of it, you're teamwork must be incredible to catch those criminals. You we're never hurt and even with the way he treats you, you stayed and didn't even tell me. So, is the reason why you cried is because of him?" Kanae looked at Yako softly.
Yako who still felt the feeling of hurt from her and Neuro's conversation earlier can't even hide anymore her sad face to her bestfriend and only looked down.
"I knew it." Kanae smiled.
"I think we aren't that compatible anymore, Kanae. His world and our world can be so different that our views are so different this time...I've confirmed it just earlier. I am really foolish Kanae, how could I think that us being a team of detectives could work so long. He is just another part of his world that happened to walk in the same world as us."
Kanae was surprised to hear this from Yako as a thought crossed her and smiled more to Yako.
"Yako, I know it's weird to be calm at this moment that you're in a position that two worlds depend on you but you are not foolish"
At this, Yako looked at Kanae catching her attention.
"I don't know what that demon's reasons for doing what he did to you earlier and I haven't forgiven either what he did to you but Yako, of all things, you are not foolish. You've come all this way that you've survived all of those things even without him. You are not foolish to let what you seem you trust get close to you. Don't blame yourself for this because my bestfriend is none other than Katsuragi Yako, the world's greatest negotiator. You are that amazing" She smiled. "Besides, I really think he's just jealous." She gives a look to her bestfriend in curiosity.
Yako just laughed. "Now, that is something that is really hard to believe"
"There you go, you smiled. Don't be a downer. So, what's the plan for Haruse and the world?"
Yako smiled at Kanae both sad and thankful she was there.
Suddenly, a strong wind blew in the park. Yako and Kanae held each other and cover themselves by one arm, screaming. The wind finished as fast as it started. The next second that they opened their eyes, there was a group of men standing a few miles away from them. They looked at the caped group as their formation was divided to give way for a person to come in front of them. Haruse. They both stood up from their earlier seat on the swing.
"Yako..." Kanae said worried.
"Stand back, Kanae. He's not Haruse anymore" Yako said seriously.
"Yako, I've come to take you" King, in the face of Haruse, blankly said while smirking.
"For what reason? I don't think I have any use to you" She said curiously serious.
"Hmph. Thinking smart? You don't but the sorry excuse of Ace has that is part of me. Besides, I'm interested to meet the chick that he loves so much as to ignore my forceful attempts of overpowering him in this body. I represent him, I and him are the same."
"Oh really, you really looked the same. You both have the same roundabout humor but the difference is you cut out the fun"
"Really? Then, we will both have fun" He grinned. "You aren't that kind of fool now, are you Yako? So, what now? Will you come or you want to do it the hard way?"
Yako looked at the once Haruse, contemplating.
"Yako, maybe we shou-"
"Too late for that, Kanae. I...I did consider what you said about him. Right now, I think it won't be the same reason for me as for him because he looked at me that way back in the office but..."
Yako uttered words only that Kanae would hear. After that, she smiled at Kanae endearingly and looked determined as she finally looked at the person in front of her.
'Neuro...of what it's worth, I knew someday we'll be separated be it by what we fought over, death or another thing. I could be dead before I know it...but even though that happens I always knew I'll carry wherever I am all those things you've said to me and always be a part of me. And like all other things, I'll move forward...even you are not around. I'll save Haruse and all those people of humanity that I've believed in. We believed in. I just hope you've remembered that' she thought to herself as determination rose from her.
"Yako..." Kanae replied to her uttered words directed at her with a worried face.
"I'll go with you"
King grinned as Yako ran past him, positioning herself behind, head held high. On the time she turned back from where she came from, her eyes met the mystery demon who was now standing a few meters from Kanae. Yako looked unfazed to see him as King grinned at the poker-faced demon. And then in the blink of the eyes of a human, Yako was gone to be pulled into the depths of hell.
They finally arrived in the demon world. As the servants of Estrea lead the would-be ruler of hell, King along with Yako through the roads of hell, she can't contain herself to look at her surroundings. Suprisingly, there is still a moon with the shade of yellow as it lights the red sky. She looked around to find all different kinds of different demons that steered away from their way as they Yako looked around the place and somehow she has a thought that was almost unbelievable is she hadn't known Neuro for a long time. 'Hell is...lively!? And in top of that, we're in a carriage!?' Their surroundings were made of many shops, stands and alike that almost resembled a night market. It was filled with lights and demons of different sizes wandered. She was unnervingly used to it to the extent that the carriage was made up of different creatures that had been ruthlessly stripped of their form and was made to overlap themselves to form a carriage, wheels were small demons that somehow doesn't hurt them to be rolled, tied and under the carriage but shouts only in whispers 'more' and well, a coach which as nearly as freaky as zera with a gown on her as she (assume that it's a girl) slashed the another batch of smaller demons that looked almost a washed out horse to move the carriage in all fours. She shivered a bit on their surroundings. 'No wonder Neuro is like that'
"You seem not surprised" A voice parallel of her from where she sat spoke.
Her attention was now on the voice that spoke that she almost forgot was with her inside the carriage. It was King. He smiled at her.
"I tend not to dwell on things especially things that are related to demons" She answered. "It's been a habit"
"It does look like it even a human like you could withstand the miasma in this realm" he speculated.
"Miasma? You mean the air that you demons breathe?"
"So, you've known about it. Seems like Neuro already mentioned it" He still grins.
"Is it deadly for humans?" She said somewhat curious now of the world of his companion Neuro grew in.
"Deadly? Let's just say if a certain human accidentally wanders here even though they are not yet welcomed, deadly is not the word. Maybe removed from existence? They couldn't handle the miasma that they are pulverized to death, little fragments of them remain when they're gone"
"So why haven't I been removed from existence?"
"Hmmm...Neuro didn't tell you, did he?" He smirked slyly.
"Tell me what?" she said serious.
King stood from where he was sitting, a chair not attached to the carriage but a small demon who uses their soft back as chair. He stood in front of Yako and lowered his face inches from hers.
"You'll learn soon enough" he said in front of her, his crimson eyes looking directly at hers.
A minute has passed, the rocking of the carriage carried on as they are still in that position. Yako was so familiar of Haruse's voice, eyes, and his smile. It's him but somehow he's far away. Far away from her reach, she knew she have loved him, she was so sure back then that he was the one. It was her fault that she put aside his feelings on that night...the night that he was taken over. So much familiarity, memories and the will to apologize to him that Yako remembered, that her arm moved to touch his face. Haruse's face was still inches from hers. His eyes still looking at her as her eyes express so much of her emotions. Yako wanted to tell him so much about what she truly felt and make him understand.
Before she could completely touch his face, the carriage stopped. One of Estrea's servants that were walking alongside the carriage all this time knocked on the door and announced that they've arrived. Yako's movements stopped and in an instant, the connection at that moment that they thought have is gone as the familiar eyes of Haruse has been dimmed and can be recognized as one of King's. King removed himself in front of Yako and went out of the carriage silently. Yako sighed and cursed at the same time of what was she thinking. 'He is not Haruse yet. He is King. I still need to find a way to bring him back.'
She followed suit the would-be ruler of the demon world and walked out of the carriage. The servant known as Dalla was there and helped her go down of the demonic carriage. She looked from behind King to see a castle modelled from castles of old if she ever lived in Europe in its Renaissance period. It would be like that but much more grim.
When Yako was taken away by King, there still stood Kanae and Neuro in the deadly silence of the park that was moments ago, comfortable between Yako and her friend.
Kanae looked at Neuro seriously and wanted to smack him a good beating, one or two but decided to leave it at bay for now because her bestfriend is in real trouble again.
"OI" She finally spoke.
Neuro didn't gave away that he heard but turned anyway to Kanae's direction with his facade in place.
"Oh, Kanae-san~. Nice to meet you were there all along. Sensei just went with some friends of hers. She just left me in the office earlier, leaving me with cases. She said that if I didn't solve them, I would get fired. She must be full of joy that she left me that she cried-"
"I could tell" Kanae still serious. "I already know who you are. No need to pretend" She said directly lookin at Neuro as he slowly removed the kind smile that he has and perked up again to grin.
"Hooo~ what did she tell you?" He still grinned with his green eyes, glowing.
"Nothing much. More about you" She said nonchalantly. "Listen, I don't know what reasons you have to do that to my friend nor do I care about making you say it right now but Yako believed in you and you just shoved it away. Now, she needs you the most-"
"Did she? Pray tell how she was betrayed" He said airily.
Kanae just flipped the switch from her brain and could feel her getting irritated. "If you have any demonic honor left from you and you are the demon that made Yako the world's greatest negotiator, redeem yourself"
"A dishrag trying to dare Nougami Neuro of what to do?"
"If you ever were the great one that Yako look up to, it wouldn't have gotten like this or am I right to doubt you that you are the great Nougami Neuro you speak of?" Kanae said with a grin.
Neuro looked down with a frown and air of pride to Kanae. Without notice, Neuro already thrown some demonic item to Kanae. More quick Kanae can be than Yako, she avoided the explosive contraption that Neuro released. Good thing she learned self-defense in favour of her bestfriend being a detective.
"You! You almost got me there! I'm not like Yako, you know!" Kanae shouted.
"Hmph" Neuro just grinned slyly and turned his back to Kanae to walk away.
Kanae looked at him in relief for her friend "Before you go, Yako said something to me before she left" She shouted hoping that he hears. "She said if ever you will come tell you this" Kanae doesn't know if she should be embarrassed or not to say this but it's the last will of her friend so here goes nothing. ''The Culprit is...you!" Kanae shouted in a most Yako-like way to Neuro. After she said that, he stopped and peeked behind him with the same poker face as usual. He was gone by an instant, after that. Before he was entirely gone, she could say that he was piqued by what she said, on what Yako said to him.
Kanae was confused and sighed. 'Yako it was so embarrassing. You shoud know what you're doing.I don't really understand Yako but he's a handful. I hope for the best for you' she smiled as she said this to herself wondering of what Yako said brought upon the demon's mind.
A/N: It's been a long time. Update. Glad I could still continue this. Got me to think. Anyway, hope you still read this.