58Disclaimer: I do not own Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, but it's still nice to pretend I do.
Yako tries to sneak to Ippai, who lay dying on the concrete rooftop, sleeping as his flaking dead skin blows in the early evening wind.
"Get away from him!" Takumi yells as Yako gets closer to the sleeping snake demon.
Ippai stirs from his sleep at Takumi's outburst, looking to Yako in panic. Feeling newly inspired by Ippai's panicked face, Yako again starts to slowly approach Ippai. Takumi growls low in his chest, a menacing sound that makes everyone turn to look at Takumi.
"Yako, stay where you are." Neuro's warning comes too late, though.
Takumi is already stalking towards Yako with intentions of a predator. Neuro quickly steps in front of Takumi to block him from getting even one step closer to Yako. Takumi doesn't even see Neuro, all he sees is Yako and the look in his eyes is murderous. Neuro quickly grabs Takumi by the shoulders gripping tightly. Takumi only continues to walk forcing Neuro's feet to move against his will; sliding backwards against the rough rooftop pavement as Takumi steadily approaches his target. Neuro strengthens his grip on Takumi's shoulders and makes an extra effort to stand his ground. Takumi angrily takes his eyes from Yako and shifts them to Neuro.
"Let go, Demon," Takumi demands through gritted teeth.
"You first. Demon," Neuro retorts back with an amused smirk.
Using the opportunity, Yako closes the remaining distance between Ippai and her.
"Ippai! Are you alright?" Yako asks, hands hovering over all of Ippai's exposed cracks in his skin, scared to touch him but desperate to help him.
Ippai tries to smile but the effort seems to drain him of any energy he had left, and his bright blue eyes fade to a light gray, but he struggles against heavy-hooded lids to stay awake.
"I need to separate you from him," Yako says, peeking over at Takumi who is trying his best to free himself from Neuro's monstrous grip. Yako reaches for Ipaai's yukata in attempt to cover his bare shoulders and chest, but is startled by Ippai grabbing her hand and pushing it to his fragile cracking chest.
"Human." Ippai says in a barely audible whisper.
"Ippai…don't." Yako pleads in a whisper almost like his.
"New blood bond." Ippai whispers again, color returning to his eyes looking directly into Yako's brown ones.
"Blood?" Yako asks quietly looking at her hand in Ippai's weak grasp.
She thinks back to a few days ago when she and Neuro first met Ippai. He had ripped Neuro's throat out with his bare teeth.
Yako offers her hand to Ippai hesitantly. Ippai gently brings her wrist to his mouth, but pauses. He flips her hand over and kisses the top of her hand. Yako looks down at Ippai confused by his actions.
"Good fortune is coming to light." Ippai says with a knowing soft smile, then quickly turns her hand back over and bites into the palm of her hand as gently as a bite can be.
Ippai stands up shakily after finishing taking the blood from Yako. He stands silently for a moment, trying to steady himself. Takumi is no longer trying to fight Neuro, instead he watches Ippai with dissatisfaction. Ippai looks at Takumi and smirks, sticking his snake tongue out like a teasing child. Takumi frowns only slightly. Ippai tilts his head back dramatically and, shocking everyone, spits out a watered version of Yako's blood into the air, and spreads his arms out wide as it rains back down upon him. His once crisp white yukata is now a stained and bloody pink.
The whole scene was disgusting but, Ippai's transformation is almost instant. He looks a lot better, but Yako's sudden exhaustion does not go unnoticed and her world spins slightly as her head feels like its gained fifty pounds.
Despite her dizziness she tries to stand, quickly falling back to her knees feeling like her body is being forced to the ground by an unseen force. Neuro picks her up and sits her up against a wall.
"What have you done Yako?" Panic and definite anger in his voice.
Takumi is now the one cracking and flaking, his demon features fleeting in the wind. The air is heavy with demonic energy; a battle for which body to reside in, but the look on Takumi's face is accepting and knowing. He's lost the battle. His human features have returned he looks only a little worn out, but he still collapses to the ground, body too tired and heavy to stand any longer.
Yako's own heavy dizziness disappears and she looks to see why. Ippai stands over Takumi, biting into his arm. With his strength returned, Ippai has no reason to fear a take over from Takumi again. So he's restored their blood bond. Ippai wipes the blood from Takumi's arm and gently brushes Takumi's hair from his face and lays him down onto the ground.
Yako watches the exchange between the two and is grateful for the gentle demon's returned health. Yako has to quickly look away from Ippai though. Ippai strips the flimsy blood-stained yukata off, freeing himself of all clothing. Yako looks at Neuro instead finding the fully dressed demon more comforting then the completely naked one. Neuro pays no attention to her, though. He watches Takumi readily, with only a protective hand on Yako's back, a hand Yako hadn't noticed until now.
"Hahaha!" Takumi's sudden laughter echoes throughout the silent rooftop. "You are right, Yako. I am a liar," Takumi says, reaching a hand to the sky and pretends to grab a handful of clouds. "I hoped to ruin this world for myself, so that I could possibly gain another." Takumi drops his reaching hand harshly back onto the ground.
"You purposely ruined your life?" Yako asks.
"If 'ruined' is the way you want to see it." Takumi says chuckling.
Yako remains silent in thought for a moment. "It's an outrageous way of achieving more." Yako says quietly.
"I suppose it is." Takumi says blissfully. "Perhaps it's insanity?" Takumi continues, laughing to himself.
Everyone is silent, all that can be heard is the battle going down on the streets in front of the office, echoing through the abandoned streets. Sitting up suddenly, Takumi turns to look at Neuro.
"Okay bird, do whatever you do." Takumi says smugly, only a small trace of fear on his face. Neuro takes his hand from Yako's back and stands quickly.
"Gladly," Neuro says, taking wide stride toward Takumi.
The two look at each other admiringly, only for a quick moment. "Ittadakimasu."
The moment is lost to everyone in a purple haze of uncertainty, everyone except for Neuro and Takumi.
No matter how many times she sees it, his feeding on a puzzle always remains a mystery on exactly what goes on between the demon and his meal ticket. As soon as it starts, it's finished just as quickly.
"Gochisosama" Neuro says contently and proud.
Takumi lays asleep with a content smile. Everything is as it should be: Neuro is full and happy, Ippai will return to Hell, the rioters down below will return to their cells, joined by Takumi.
Ippai in his naked bliss approaches Takumi's sleeping, unaware form and bends down over his head, picking Takumi up under his arm pits. Thankfully Ippai's back is turned to Yako and Neuro because the sight of Ippai swallowing Takumi whole is horrifying enough from the back. Yako can't begin to imagine a view from the front. Neuro just watches the scene with minor distaste.
Ippai turns to Neuro, looking bloated. "The others are ignorant Neuro. She is a fine human, I approve." Ippai points to Yako like a child. In response Neuro smiles fondly at Ippai. Words are wasted on Yako at the moment. She is too shocked , and can only watch as Ippai slithers away at top speed to return to Hell... with a swallowed Takumi.
"Neuro! Go after him! He ate Takumi!" Yako shrieks.
"Shut up fool. Ippai is giving Takumi-kun what he doesn't deserve." Neuro says, heading for the door to return to the office.
"A snake demon's dinner?" Yako shrieks again.
"He's giving him 'more'." Neuro says calmly.
"Hell. He's taking him to Hell?" Yako asks less panicked, knowing all to well it's exactly what Takumi would have wanted.
"Ippai is far too kind for his own good." Neuro says, walking down the stairs in no hurry.
Yako remains quiet then stops on the stairs. "He's more evolved then you, Neuro," Yako says feeling brave. Neuro stops, turns and looks up at Yako who is six steps above him.
Despite her insulting comment, he can't help but admire her. Standing above him majestically; studying him, testing him, worthy of him. He closes the gap between them, and watches her watch him. He kisses her harshly on the lips, gripping a handful of her hair in his hands. Yako surrenders to him and his passionate kiss; a kiss that ends way too soon in her opinion. Neuro releases her just as harsh as he did when he started.
"I have evolved admit it," Neuro says, looking down at her, observing his handiwork.
"I couldn't tell, show me again," Yako says with heavily flushed cheeks and swollen lips.
"Only when you are deserving," Neuro says, once again heading down the stairs to the office.
"I am very deserving." Yako laughs, rushing after him with a new found goal in mind.
That's it for this story Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I drew a few pictures if you'd like to see. I put them on my deviant art account, I tried posting direct links but it didnt work. NennyNen is my user name, NennyNen on deviantart. Please take a look i drew Takumi and ippai and Neuro and Yako.
Nadia42- Thank you for reading, and I'll defiantly read anything you write, so don't be afraid to publish anything. ^-^ This is my first story ever too.
lunabloodmoon666- I'm glad you enjoyed it I hope you don't think I ended it too soon. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Little-bad-Angel- Thank you for loving my story, and I hope you've enjoyed my story.
Yubelchen- I'm glad you have enjoyed my story I hope it ended well for you.
Gintarox- Thank you for reading and reviewing, Loving you with my heart guts, it's actually quite pleasant. So happy you are enjoying my story and my brave Yako. Yeah my writing in the first few chapters isn't so good, . but this is my first thing i've written so it's all very new but I'm trying to improve as much as I can every chapter. About the demon emperor I have no Idea, some stories he is and some stories he isn't.
Indiahenna- Thank you for your honest input, this is the first thing I've ever written, sadly that seems to be evident in the first few chapters and my lack of detail, but I'm going to try to work on that now so thank you, and I hoped you enjoyed the last chapter.