Meanwhile, far away from the forest, the real Mahito was running. It was not an elegant strategic retreat. It was escape. His body rebuilt itself as he advanced through the trees, but the instability was visible, parts of the stitched skin trembled, failing for fractions of a second.
"Tch... that shouldn't be possible..."
Even though he was a clone who received the Black Flash, the impact went through the connection. The blow didn't just hit cursed matter, it hit the soul. The original soul. Mahito felt like he had been crushed from the inside out.
He stumbled, resting his hand on a tree trunk. The wooden surface deformed under his instinctive touch, but he didn't pay attention.
What scared him wasn't brute force.
It was precision.
He managed to reach me through the link... If I had gone with my original body, I would have died instantly!"
Yuji's Black Flash wasn't just powerful. It was too synchronized. Too tuned. For an instant, Mahito felt something he had already experienced.
Fear.
If it had been the main body there, it would have been truly exorcised. No time to remodel the soul. No room to play.
He started to laugh, but the laugh was flawed.
"Hahaha… this is bad. Very bad."
Mahito had faced Yuji before. You've already provoked him, you've already manipulated him emotionally. But now it was different. The uncontrolled anger was gone. There was focus instead.
And focused Yuji was dangerous.
"He's learned too quickly..."
Mahito stopped for a moment, closing his eyes as he analyzed his own essence. The connection with the clones would have to be reduced. That almost killed him. If Yuji repeated that level of direct impact...
There would be no second chance.
"I can't face him now."
Not from the front.
Not yet.
The stitched eyes narrowed.
Then the smile returned. Small. Calculator.
"But if I can't break the body... I'll break the heart."
He looked towards the forest.
This world was still unknown to him, but emotions were universal.
And Yuji Itadori always reacted when someone suffered.
Mahito started walking again, calmer now.
"Let's see... how far you can handle saving everyone."
Mahito slowed down when he heard a thin chuckle echoing through the trees.
"Ehhh~? Are you leaving already?"
He stopped.
In front, sitting calmly on the branch of a fallen tree, was a little girl with purple hair, swinging her legs in the air as if she was watching a show.
Bright eyes. Too innocent smile.
"You look hurt, Mr. Strange."
Mahito tilted his head slightly. The stitched face returned to its usual smile.
"Injured? I? What an ugly thing to say."
She laughed.
"But your face is all messed up."
His smile froze for a microsecond.
Interesting.
She wasn't looking at the body.
I was looking inside.
"Are you the one controlling those little creatures?" Mahito asked, curious.
She put her finger to her lips.
"Maybe~."
The surrounding forest became restless. Small noises in the shadows. Presences observing.
Meili tilted her head.
"You lost badly, right?"
Mahito gave a short laugh.
"Losing is a strong word. I would say… I auditioned."
"And he almost died in the test." she countered, humming.
The veins on his forehead pulsed slightly, but the smile remained.
"You're bold for someone so small."
She slipped off the log, landing lightly.
"I don't like it when my toys break prematurely."
Mahito narrowed his eyes.
"Your toys?"
She twirled a strand of purple hair between her fingers.
"The Majus. They are cute. But you messed with them too, right?"
He noticed. Those "modified" ones weren't just his doing. There was interference. Mana mixed with cursed energy.
Interesting.
"So you are?..."
She smiled proudly.
"Meili Portroute."
Mahito analyzed her aura. It wasn't a curse. It was something else. Another system. Another world.
But the cruelty...
This one was familiar.
"Are you mad at me?" he asked, almost amused.
She shrugged.
"No. I just thought it was funny. You looked so confident... and you ran away."
Silence.
The wind passed through the trees.
Mahito took a step forward.
"You're really annoying, aren't you, little girl..."
Meili brought her face closer, curious.
"So you're going back?"
His eyes sparkled.
"Oh, I'll definitely play again."
She clapped her hands excitedly.
"Then don't die before! I want to see what that boy does when he loses someone important."
Mahito stood still for a second.
After...
He smiled wider.
"What a coincidence."
The two exchanged a complicit look.
In that forest, two cruel minds had just recognized each other.
Mahito had already taken two steps when the childish voice echoed behind him again.
"Hey."
He stopped, but didn't turn around right away.
"Hmm?"
Meili tilted her head, her purple eyes shining with genuine curiosity.
"Don't you want to meet Mama?"
Silence.
The wind passed through the trees.
Mahito slowly turned his face away.
"Mama?"
She smiled, rocking her body back and forth as if she were sharing a delicious secret.
"Your power is very similar to hers."
Mahito's stitched eyes narrowed.
"Like?"
He placed his hand on his chest.
"I shape souls."
The voice was soft, almost proud.
"I touch people's essence and transform them."
Meili chuckled.
"She also likes to tinker with things inside."
The air became a little heavier.
Mahito analyzed every microexpression of the girl. She wasn't lying. He didn't seem to be teasing either. I was... curious.
"And who exactly is this 'Mother'?"
Meili put her finger to her lips again.
"She loves her kids SO MUCH..."
Her smile widened subtly.
"She's as strong as a dragon!"
Mahito's eyes lit up.
Now yes.
Real interest.
The girl nodded.
The name was not said, but he had already heard echoes in the forest. Whispers. Fear in people's memories.
That overwhelming presence he felt before...
Mahito tilted his head.
"So are you part of some cult?"
Meili just smiled, ignoring his comment.
"If you're so good at stirring the soul... she'll like you."
A second of silence.
Mahito felt something different that time he was pulled by the shadows. A similar signature. Dense. Distorted love. Old obsession.
He laughed quietly.
"Like me?"
His hand deformed slightly, fingers lengthening and returning to normal.
"I don't like being anyone's toy anymore."
Meili pouted.
"Ah~.... Go, please!..."
He took a step towards her.
The two stared at each other.
Meili didn't back down.
"So? Do you want to meet?"
Mahito pondered.
If her power truly resembled his... then that "Mother" perhaps operated on an even deeper level in this world.
What kind of spiritual structure would sustain someone capable of destroying half a world?
His smile slowly opened.
"...Perhaps."
But the eyes didn't smile.
"However, I choose when and how I meet someone."
Meili chuckled.
"Okay~ But don't delay. Mom doesn't like waiting."
Mahito turned his back.
"What a shame."
His aura rippled slightly.
"I love making others wait."
He walked away from the forest again.
But, for the first time since arriving in that world, curiosity overcame irritation.
If there was someone there who manipulated something similar to the soul...
So maybe...
The game could have become much more interesting.
The wind changed.
No warning.
No sound of footsteps.
No presence approaching.
Mahito was the first to feel it.
The pressure.
It wasn't like cursed energy.
It wasn't like ordinary mana.
It was... love.
Dense.
Sticking to the skin.
Heavy like a suffocating hug.
Meili looked up immediately and gave an excited smile.
"Ah... it's here~"
On a huge rock covered in moss, she appeared.
Sitting elegantly.
Legs crossed.
Relaxed posture.
Observing.
Her light hair fell softly over her shoulders, contrasting with the dark dress that shaped her silhouette. Her eyes analyzed Mahito with sincere curiosity, like someone finding a new toy... or an unexpected mirror.
Mahito slowly looked up.
His smile didn't waver.
But instincts screamed.
Danger.
"So..." the blonde woman tilted her head slightly "Are you the stranger who moves things from the inside?"
The voice was soft.
Calm.
But each word seemed to echo straight into the structure of the soul.
Mahito felt something try to "touch" him.
Not physically.
Internally.
As if invisible fingers wanted to understand its shape.
He laughed quietly.
"Depends on what you call 'moving'."
Meili clapped her hands, sitting on the floor now.
"Mama, he also molds bodies! Just like you!"
The woman's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Mold...?"
Mahito let his own arm deform slightly, his fingers lengthening and returning to normal, like a casual demonstration.
"I don't shape bodies."
He tilted his head.
"I shape souls."
Silence.
The air became heavier.
For a moment...
Something invisible collided.
His essence met hers.
Different.
But similar.
She smiled.
Not a childish smile.
A deep smile.
Old.
"How curious..."
The pressure increased.
Mahito felt his spiritual structure being truly analyzed now.
As if it were being opened layer by layer.
He forced internal stability while maintaining the smile.
"It's ugly to look without asking permission."
She let out a light laugh.
"You do worse."
Mahito felt something he had never felt before.
Her essence was overwhelming.
Non-destructive.
But possessive.
Too intense.
Meili watched in fascination.
"So? Is he interesting?"
The woman didn't take her eyes off Mahito.
"It is incomplete."
Mahito raised an eyebrow.
"Incomplete?"
She tilted her head.
"You understand the shape of the soul."
But you don't understand its weight.
His smile thinned.
"Weight is irrelevant."
She stared at him for a few seconds.
After...
The pressure is gone.
As if it had never existed.
"Perhaps."
She rested her chin on her hand. Mahito laughed softly.
The two analyzed each other.
Predator recognizing predator.
But there was a clear difference.
Mahito manipulated it out of curiosity.
She manipulated out of love.
And love, on that level...
It was much more dangerous.
Meili swung her legs excitedly.
"You two look alike~!"
Mahito finally took a step back.
Without showing it.
But recording.
If that woman was who he suspected...
So playing with Yuji's emotions could have consequences beyond expectations.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He smiled widely again.
"I think we'll get along fine."
Her eyes sparkled.
"We'll see."
And, for the first time since arriving in that world...
"You can call me Mahito... And yours?"
Mahito felt that perhaps he was not the most dangerous being there.
"My name... It's Capella Emerada Lugnica."
Changing Perspective...
Light was the first thing Yuji noticed.
It wasn't the suffocating pitch black of the Garden of Shadows.
It was soft light coming through a simple window.
He blinked slowly.
The ceiling was made of light wood, with exposed beams. Simple. Rustic. It wasn't the mansion's ornate ceiling.
"...I died?"
The voice was hoarse.
He moved his fingers. He felt the weight of his own body. Muscle pain. Ribs complaining.
It didn't feel like death.
He turned his face away.
Sitting in a chair next to the bed, head slightly tilted, was Emilia. Her silver hair fell down her shoulders as she slept, clearly exhausted.
Yuji was silent for a moment.
Then a small voice sounded in the air.
"If i had died, I would have known."
Yuji rolled his eyes.
Floating near the window, looking unconcerned, was Puck.
"Ah...Puck."
Puck crossed his little arms.
"Very high level contractual spirit arriving!..."
Yuji tried to sit up.
His body protested, but he managed to support his back against the wall.
The memory came back fragmented.
He closed his eyes for a second.
Then he opened it again and looked at Puck.
"How long have I been blacking out?"
Puck studied him with unusual attention.
"Eight o'clock."
Yuji blinked.
"All this?"
"All this." Puck confirmed. "You fell out of nowhere. Just passed out. No critical injuries. No apparent curse. Just... blacked out."
Yuji frowned.
So that wasn't a dream.
That place was real. Satella was real.
He put his hand to his chest instinctively.
Nothing different.
But he could still remember the pressure.
That sadness.
"What about Rem?" he asked quickly.
Puck tilted his head.
"We don't know where she is..."
Yuji held the air he didn't even realize he was holding.
Yuji watched Emilia for a few seconds. She had clearly been there the whole time. The crooked posture in the chair, the hands resting on the lap, the face relaxed with pure tiredness.
He sighed quietly.
Careful not to wake her abruptly, he got out of bed. My body still hurt, but nothing serious. He approached her slowly, put one arm behind her back and the other under her legs.
Emilia mumbled something incomprehensible as he lifted her up.
"I'm sorry..." he whispered.
He placed her on her own bed, arranging the pillow under her head. He pulled the blanket carefully, making sure it was comfortable.
Puck watched everything, floating near the ceiling.
"Hm. Good points for you."
Yuji gave a half smile.
"It's no big deal."
He moved away from the bed a little, but his gaze soon became serious.
"And children's curses."
The air in the room changed slightly.
Puck crossed his little arms.
"No need to worry about that."
Yuji frowned.
"Like this?"
"While you were blacked out, Beatrice and I figured it out."
Yuji blinked.
"You guys figured it out... how?"
Puck shrugged.
"The source was an external interference. It was not a common curse of this world. It had strange remnants mixed in... but it has since been removed."
Beatrice.
That made sense. If anyone there could analyze something that mixed cursed energy and mana, it would be her.
Yuji relaxed his shoulders, but only a little.
"So the kids are okay?"
"They're sleeping peacefully..." Puck replied. "No immediate risk."
Yuji closed his eyes for a second.
Well... At least that, but something didn't add up, if the curse was removed...
So Mahito already knew.
He stared at the ground for a few moments.
"He's testing..." he muttered.
Puck tilted his head.
" 'He'?"
Yuji looked up.
The eyes were firmer now.
"Nothing... I just remembered someone unhappy..."
Puck watched him in silence for a few seconds.
"Whatever you faced..." the spirit spoke in a more serious voice. "What made you pass out wasn't simple exhaustion."
Yuji didn't respond right away.
He thought about the shadows.
In the voice.
"You're following in the same footsteps."
He closed his hand.
"I'm fine."
Puck didn't look entirely convinced, but he didn't insist.
"Just don't faint again out of nowhere. Emilia already worries enough."
Yuji looked at the bed.
She slept peacefully now.
For now.
He walked to the window and faced the village in the daylight.
Mahito was still alive.
Someone even more dangerous was watching.
And now he knew that that world had forces that went beyond curses.
Yuji took a deep breath.
"So that's it..." he muttered to himself.
If the game was going to get bigger...
He just needed to get stronger.
Yuji slid the door of the little house carefully so as not to make any noise.
The morning air was cool. The village seemed peaceful, children running in the distance, the smell of burning wood, the low voices of adults talking.
He took two steps...
And he almost bumped into someone.
"Um."
Ram was there, standing there as if she already knew exactly when he would leave.
She held a small basket covered in a white cloth. The smell coming from there was strong. Warm. Comforting.
Yuji's stomach chose that exact moment to betray his dignity.
The sound echoed loud enough for two ladies passing by to turn their heads.
Ram blinked slowly.
"Oh?"
She tilted her head, her usual neutral gaze.
"Did you inherit hunger from the dogs that bit you, Yui-j?"
Yuji grimaced.
"I wasn't bitten by dogs!... I was actually bitten by one, but it was on purpose."
Ram raised an eyebrow.
"Hm. Then it's just hunger. How disappointing."
She removed the cloth from the basket.
Inside were small, rounded buns, lightly browned, still releasing steam. A sweet aroma mixed with melted butter escaped into the air.
Yuji's eyes widened.
"That's what?"
"Food." Ram replied dryly.
She picked up one of the buns, still warm.
Yuji opened his mouth to ask something else.
Ram simply stuffed the bread straight into his mouth.
"Mmff—?!"
Steam exploded against the roof of his mouth.
"HOT! HOT! HOT!"
He began to bounce slightly in place, waving his hand in front of his mouth as he chewed desperately.
Ram watched, completely impassive.
"Pathetic."
Yuji whimpered a little as he finally managed to swallow.
"You want to kill me?!"
"If I wanted to, I would have used poison. This is just breakfast."
He took a deep breath, still feeling his tongue burn.
"I could have warned you it was boiling!"
"I warned you."
"When?!"
"Mentally."
Yuji stared at her for two seconds.
Then he sighed.
"Thanks... anyway."
Ram looked away.
"Don't say thank you. It was meant for everyone. You were just in the way."
But she was already taking another loaf of bread from the basket.
This time, he blew lightly before handing it over.
Yuji noticed.
Didn't comment.
He picked it up carefully and took a smaller bite.
Much better.
The heat from the food moved down the body as real energy. He hadn't even realized how empty it was.
Ram watched him from the corner of his eye.
"You dropped like a sack of potatoes yesterday."
"Thank you for the kindness."
"Emilia-sama almost panicked."
Yuji was silent for a moment.
"I know..."
Ram faced him directly now.
"Whatever you're doing... don't drag others into it."
It wasn't an accusation.
It was a warning.
Yuji finished the bread slowly.
"I won't let anyone get hurt."
Ram made a faint sound of disdain. Ram remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he turned his back.
"Finish eating. Beatrice wants to talk to you."
Yuji blinked.
"Now?"
"She's irritated."
He sighed.
"Excellent."
Ram started walking away.
"And Yuji."
He looked up.
"Try not to pass out again today. It's inconvenient."
Yuji laughed through his nose.
"I am going to try."
As he finished the still warm bread, he looked up at the clear sky above the village.
For a few hours...
Everything seemed normal.
But he knew that tranquility never lasted long.
Ram walked beside him along the dirt road, the basket now lighter.
After a few seconds of silence, she spoke:
"Ram hasn't said thank you yet."
Yuji blinked.
"There is?"
She kept her gaze ahead.
"When the people of a region suffer, the blame falls on the lord. The responsibility is ours."
Yuji understood right away.
If the children had died...
The fault would have been the mansion's.
From Emilia and the boss Roswaal.
Ram continued:
"The barrier has been reconnected. The fault has been corrected."
So it was her.
Yuji scratched the back of his head.
"Did you do this alone?"
"Naturally."
She said it as if it was the least expected.
Yuji smiled crookedly.
"Wow, Ram thanking you? I think I'm going to pass out again."
Silence.
Ram stopped walking.
He turned his face slowly.
"Take it back."
He raised his hands.
"It was just a joke!"
"Ram does not "give thanks". Ram recognizes facts."
She crossed her arms, clearly sulking now, although she tried to maintain a cool posture.
Yuji laughed softly.
"Okay, okay. Sorry."
She snorted discreetly.
But he didn't respond.
Yuji took the opportunity to look around.
The children were scattered throughout the village, some lying on makeshift mats, others inside the houses. All sleeping soundly.
No moaning.
No cold sweat.
Without the dark mark of the curse.
Peaceful breathing.
He felt his chest ease.
It worked.
Whatever Beatrice and Puck did...it worked.
"Good job." he muttered, mostly to himself.
Ram heard him anyway.
"Naturally."
She started walking again.
"Go. Beatrice is waiting."
Instead of finding the door closed and the usual silence...
He saw a small figure standing outside.
For the first time.
Beatrice was not in the library.
She was in the front garden of the mansion.
Impeccable dress.
Perfectly groomed blonde hair.
Arms crossed.
Closed expression.
She didn't look satisfied.
Yuji slowed down.
"Huh... you out of the library?"
Her eyes slowly moved to him.
"Don't confuse necessity with preference, I suppose."
The wind slightly moved her curls.
The surrounding aura was dense.
Concentrated.
She was analyzing him too closely.
As if he were trying to solve a riddle.
Yuji felt it.
She knew.
Or at least suspected.
"So..." he began, scratching his cheek, "you wanted to talk to me?"
Beatrice closed her eyes for a second.
He took a deep breath.
When he opened it again, the look was serious.
Much more serious than usual.
"I have something important to tell you, I suppose."
Yuji's smile disappeared.
The tranquility of the morning ended there.
Beatrice narrowed her eyes.
"Don't act like you're fine, I suppose."
She raised her small hand, and subtle magic circles glowed around Yuji for an instant.
The analysis ended too quickly.
Her gaze darkened.
"You were bitten by other Majus than the ones you killed yesterday."
Yuji blinked.
"Hmm?"
"Their curse has not been completely removed. It is active. If nothing is done...you will die in twelve hours, I suppose."
The wind seemed to stop for a second.
Anyone else would have frozen.
Yuji just tilted his head.
"Ah. That."
Beatrice was visibly angry.
" "This"? You have a death sentence written on your body!"
He shrugged.
"Relax. I'm immune to curses."
Silence.
Her blue eyes became even sharper.
"Immune...to curses?"
"AND."
He spoke as if he were commenting on the weather.
"Then it won't affect me."
Beatrice stared at him for several seconds.
Long seconds.
"What... are you?"
The question had no irony.
It was genuine.
Yuji held her gaze.
Then he swerved.
"It doesn't matter now."
Beatrice clenched her fist.
"Don't you dare—"
He interrupted her.
"Where's Rem?"
The sudden change of subject was so clear that Beatrice narrowed her eyes even more.
"In the forest, I suppose."
Yuji stood still.
"Alone?"
"Yes."
His heart gave an unpleasant lurch.
Forest.
Modified Majus.
Mahito.
Everything was still out there.
He turned his body immediately.
"She went to check the remnants of the curse on the children. She said she didn't want to drag anyone into this."
Yuji was already walking.
Too fast.
His look changed.
It wasn't panic.
But it was close.
"She shouldn't have gone alone..."
The ground beneath his feet creaked as he quickened his pace.
And then—
"Yui-j..."
The cold voice cut through the air.
Ram was there.
Stop on the way.
She had clearly heard everything.
Her gaze wasn't sullen now.
It was serious.
Very serious.
"Explain." she said calmly.
The wind blew again.
And the light mood of the morning disappeared once and for all.
"Rem went to the forest alone."
Was all Yuji said.
Ram's expression instantly changed.
The basket fell from her hand.
The loaves rolled across the ground.
She was already moving when Yuji noticed, quickly, decisively, without hesitation.
"Ram!"
He stepped forward and grabbed her arm.
For a second, the wind seemed to gather around the two.
Ram turned his face slowly.
Her gaze was sharp.
"Let go."
"Wait."
"Rem is alone in the forest!"
Her voice didn't shake.
But the tension was there.
Yuji held firm.
"I know. But running off without a plan won't help."
She tugged on her arm, but he didn't let go.
"I don't need a plan."
"Yes you do."
His gaze was not aggressive.
It was firm.
"How are we going to find her in there? The forest is huge."
Ram took a deep breath once.
"Ram has enough clairvoyance to locate my sister."
Yuji blinked.
"Like...sister radar?"
She ignored the comment.
"If I concentrate, I can feel her mana flow."
Yuji nodded.
"Then do it."
She narrowed her eyes.
"I'll go alone."
He shook his head.
"No."
Silence.
"I'll go with you."
"You have an active curse that will kill you in twelve hours." she replied coldly.
"I'm immune."
"Beatrice didn't seem to believe it."
"I believe."
Ram stared at him for a few seconds.
Her silent analysis was almost as intense as Beatrice's.
Ram spoke while keeping his focus on Yuji.
"If Rem is in demon mode... I won't be able to face her head on."
Yuji looked aside.
"Because of the horn?"
Ram did not respond immediately.
But the silence confirmed it.
"She told you, so..."
Yuji remembered the conversation with Rem. From the night she told him about the attack on the oni village. About how Ram was the prodigy. The most talented. The strongest.
And about how he lost his horn.
"She said you were the stronger of the two."
Ram narrowed his eyes.
" 'Was'... Past irrelevant."
"It's not irrelevant."
She ignored it.
"Without the horn, my mana flow is limited. If Rem is completely out of control... she will surpass me in brute strength."
Yuji continued running, expression firm.
"Then I'll hold her."
Ram turned his face slightly.
"You?"
"I'll make it."
There was no arrogance in the voice. Ram watched him for a second.
"Trust without basis is stupidity."
"I have a base."
He didn't explain. It didn't need to.
Ram looked away again.
"I can still use wind magic. It's not defenseless."
Yuji blinked.
"Wind magic....Stupid question, does wind magic create ice?"
She almost tripped.
She slowly turned her face towards him.
"...What?"
"Like... cold wind somehow turns to ice?"
Ram stopped running for half a second, only to stare at him in pure disbelief.
"Stop asking stupid questions!"
"I told you it was a stupid question!..."
"Wind magic manipulates wind. That's all."
"Okay, but if you blow too hard—"
"Yui-j."
Her voice became dangerously calm.
"Use your brain before you speak."
Yuji grimaced.
"Fine, fine... I just wanted to understand the magic system here!"
"Then ask something that makes sense."
He raised his hands as he continued running.
"Okay, okay."
Ram huffed, but refocused ahead.
Before they left the village, everything happened too quickly.
When they heard that Rem was in the forest, some villagers insisted on helping as much as they could. One of the oldest men in the village brought a sword wrapped in cloth.
"It's the sharpest we have."
Yuji held the blade.
The weight was different from what he was used to. He was not a swordsman. But still...
"Thank you."
Some children who had already woken up ran to him.
"Mister Yuji!"
"You're going to save Rem, right?!"
He crouched for a second.
"I'll bring her back."
One of the girls was holding something metallic that was too big for her.
The claw gauntlet that Emilia had brought.
"We found that!" said one of the boys. "The silver-haired girl kept it!"
Emilia was still resting, exhausted after maintaining the barrier and helping with the curses.
The children handed the gauntlet to Yuji as if it were a sacred treasure.
"Use this!"
He was surprised.
"Are you equipping me for war now?"
"You're supposed to win!"
He laughed.
He took the gauntlet.
"Right. Then I can't lose."
In their haste, no one noticed when a few small hands discreetly approached his pocket.
In the forest.
Yuji ran alongside Ram, dodging broken branches.
The smell of unstable mana was strong.
He adjusted the sword at his waist and felt something strange touching his leg.
"Hmm?"
He reached into his pocket reflexively.
His fingers touched something soft.
He pulled.
Candy.
Small colorful packages.
Yuji stood still for half a second.
Ram realized.
"What it was?"
He opened one of the papers.
It was a simple village sweet.
Probably kept as something precious.
Yuji let out a low laugh through his nose.
"These kids..."
Ram looked quickly.
"What did they do?"
He put it back in his pocket.
"They gave me ammunition."
"...?"
He smiled.
But his look was different now.
Heavier.
More determined.
"I can't lose anyway."
A bang echoed up ahead.
The ground shook.
Ram tensed. Rem is releasing too much power. Yuji closed his fist with the gauntlet.
"Then let's go get her."
And the two advanced into the heart of the forest, where the demonic aura began to distort the air around them.
The air became denser.
Ram slowed down.
"I'll use my clairvoyance."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
The wind around her changed direction, subtly turning as if obeying her breathing.
A few seconds.
So...
"Three Majus. Two to the right. One behind you."
Yuji didn't think.
Instinct responded first.
He turned his body at the exact moment something jumped out of the shadow of the trees.
The sword described a clean arc.
A precise cut.
The Maju coming from behind was split apart before it even touched the ground.
Dark blood spattered onto the earth.
Ram had already extended his hand.
"Fuck!"
An invisible blade of wind passed through the second Maju from the side, tearing him apart with silent brutality.
The third tried to escape.
Yuji advanced.
A single firm step.
The blade fell.
Silence.
The three bodies fell almost at the same time.
Ram opened his eyes.
"Stay alert."
"Osu!"
They continued advancing.
More marks of destruction.
More unstable mana.
As they walked, Yuji broke the silence.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Not if it's stupid."
"It's about the horn..."
She didn't respond right away.
"How important is a horn to a demon?"
Ram kept his eyes ahead.
"It's no big deal."
"Nothing else?"
"It's just an organ that helps capture and amplify mana. They said that a demon without a horn was a foolish demon..."
The response was cold. Technique.
"But in your case..."
She interrupted.
"Ram lives fine without him."
Yuji was silent for a few steps.
The wind blew through the broken trees.
Then she continued, in a lower tone:
"But now I depend on Rem for a lot of things."
There was no resentment in the voice.
No explicit sadness.
Just observation.
"Since that day."
Yuji felt something tighten in his chest. He remembered the times he called her lazy.
He had laughed, but now...
The weight was different.
Ram continued walking as if nothing had been said.
"Don't make that expression."
Yuji blinked.
"What expression?"
"That depressing face of yours..."
She wasn't even looking at him.
But he knew.
"I don't need your pity."
He swallowed hard.
"That's not it..."
It was guilt.
He tightened his grip around the sword.
"I said some stupid things to you before..."
"You say stupid things all the time."
"I know. But the thing about calling you lazy"
Silence for a few steps.
Then she said:
"I don't care."
But this time...
They slowed down.
The demonic pressure was so intense that the air seemed to vibrate.
Ram broke the silence first.
"I live fine the way I am."
Her voice was steady.
Yuji listened.
"But Rem..." she continued "...doesn't seem to live the same way."
The wind blew through the broken trees.
"The horn sharpens our combat. It amplifies strength, perception... instinct."
She closed her eyes for a second.
"But it also sharpens emotions. Reaction. Impulses."
Yuji understood.
"It could make her out of control."
"Yes."
There was a short pause.
More sincere than all the previous ones.
"Ram doesn't want to see her like this."
This wasn't about power. It was about fear.
Yuji looked around. Majus brands.
Smell of old blood. Unstable mana.
He thought quickly. Rem was reacting to threats.
If Majus approached...
She would go to them.
His eyes changed.
"I have an idea."
Ram turned his face slightly.
"If it's another question about wind turning to ice—"
He was already moving the sword.
A quick, superficial cut to his own arm.
The smell of fresh blood spread in the air.
Ram froze.
"...What are you doing, Yui-j?"
Blood started to flow.
Yuji squeezed the wound to make the smell stronger.
"Majus are attracted to blood and smell, right?"
The wind changed.
The forest seemed to respond.
"If they come here..."
He raised his gaze towards the demonic aura.
"Rem will also come."
Ram looked at him as if he were facing a complete idiot.
Or someone dangerously determined.
"You just got injured in Majus infested territory."
"It's just superficial."
"You are already under the influence of a curse that should kill you within twelve hours."
He gave a half smile.
"I still have time."
A twig snapped in the distance.
Other.
Movement.
Ram narrowed his eyes.
"They're already coming."
The demonic aura in the distance changed direction.
Like a storm that smelled blood.
Ram took a deep breath.
The wind began to swirl around her.
"If this goes wrong—"
"It won't work."
More branches broke.
Glowing eyes appeared among the trees.
The first Majus appeared among the trees.
Then two more.
Then five.
Ram stretched out his hand.
The wind exploded around her.
"El Fura!"
Invisible blades pierced the beasts' bodies, tearing flesh and bones. Two fell immediately. Another was thrown against a tree with a loud crack.
But more came.
Yuji slashed with his sword, blow after blow, while protecting Ram's side.
"Left!"
She responded before he even finished the sentence.
A lateral blast tore apart another Maju.
But then—
The wind around her faltered.
Like a flame about to go out.
Ram took a false step.
And fell to his knees.
"Ram?!"
Yuji spun, slashing the nearest Maju before he could move forward.
"What happened?!"
She was breathing normally.
But the mana pressure had decreased drastically.
"...Excessive consumption."
Her voice was still cold.
Controlled.
"Without the horn, spending is inefficient."
Another Maju advanced.
Yuji knocked him down with a blunt blow.
"Are you okay?!"
"I can still talk as you can see."
Even in that situation.
She still had the energy for sarcasm.
Another group appeared between the trees.
Too much.
Yuji put the sword behind his back for a second, crouched down and picked it up.
"What are you doing?"
"Change of plan."
"Yui-j—"
He was already running.
The Majus came after.
Branches breaking.
Roars.
The smell of blood still strong in the air.
Yuji dodged, jumped over roots, broke small obstacles with his shoulder.
Ram was lightly holding his clothes, still conscious.
"Right...cliff ahead..."
"Great time to let you know!"
He dodged a leaping Maju, kicking it into a tree.
But the ground beneath his feet was unstable.
Roots were loose, with the earth brittle. One wrong step, and the earth gave way.
"...Oh."
They fell.
The cliff wasn't absurdly high.
But loud enough.
The wind exploded around them mid-fall.
Ram, even though he had almost no energy, reached out his hand.
"Fuck...!"
Not as a blade.
But as support.
The wind cushioned the descent, drastically reducing the impact.
They hit the ground rolling instead of falling straight down.
Yuji turned his body, protecting Ram as he fell.
Silence.
Dust rising.
The Majus stood at the top of the cliff, growling, without immediately coming down.
Yuji breathed heavily.
"Ram?"
No response.
He looked.
She was motionless.
Weak but stable breathing.
Passed out.
The surrounding wind had completely disappeared.
Yuji clenched his jaw.
Down below, the mana fog was still hanging low when Yuji saw it.
The baby dog Maju.
The same.
But now with the body distorted, grotesque seams running across the torso. Around him, other modified Majus, more aggressive, more unstable.
Yuji adjusted Ram in his arms.
Then something fell from the top of the cliff.
Rem.
She came down like a projectile, crushing one of the Majus on impact. The ground cracked beneath his feet. Before the others could react, she was already moving, too fast. The morning star's chain spun, crushing skulls, tearing flesh. Two bodies flew. A third was broken against a rock.
She was breathing heavily.
The horn glowed brightly.
The eyes... red.
Yuji felt it.
There was no cursed energy.
Nothing.
Just pure demonic strength and instinct.
It was strange. Uncomfortable.
He was used to reading energy flow, intent, curse. But Rem in that state was different. Raw. Direct. Unpredictable.
She finished crushing another Maju.
Then it stopped.
He slowly turned his face.
He looked at Yuji.
And he growled.
The remaining Majus also growled, as if responding to her command.
Yuji felt a shiver run up his spine.
"...Rem."
She didn't respond.
The posture was that of a predator.
Feet sinking slightly into the ground.
The tense shoulder.
Ready to attack.
Yuji hugged Ram to his chest, protecting her.
Rem took a step forward.
Yuji half backed away.
She disappeared from in front of him.
Instinct.
He turned his body at the last second.
The morning star scraped past where his head was before, destroying the rock behind.
Quick.
Too fast.
He could barely keep up with the movement.
"Damn..."
No cursed energy, no predictable technique. Just reflection amplified to the extreme.
She attacked again.
Yuji jumped back, still holding Ram. The impact of the weapon opened a crater in the ground.
Rem killed another Maju who got too close, almost without looking, as if anything living there was an enemy.
Including him.
She looked at him again.
He growled.
And this time... it went straight ahead.
Rem advanced again.
Yuji barely managed to turn his body, protecting Ram as the morning star crushed the ground next to them.
On impact, rocks flew.
"Tch..."
In his arms, Ram breathed deeper.
Her eyes opened.
"...Yui-j."
He looked quickly.
"Are you awake?!"
"Unfortunately."
Even weak, the tone was still dry.
She didn't move. The body without strength.
But the mind is lucid.
She focused on Rem.
The horn glowed unsteadily. Mana leaking in excess.
"Hit the horn."
Yuji blinked.
"What?"
"A direct hit. Stop the flow. She returns to normal."
Simple.
Objective.
"But—"
Rem was already coming again.
Yuji jumped back, narrowly avoiding it.
He assessed quickly.
Two options.
Blood handling.
He could use his own blood to restrict movement, create pressure, perhaps immobilize for a second.
But he wasn't Choso.
He didn't have the refinement or fine control. Risking that by holding onto Ram... could go wrong.
The second option...
Clear the field.
The Majus still surrounded. Interfering. Forcing error.
He landed on the ground and took a deep breath.
"Hold on tight."
"Ram is already being loaded. There is no option."
Fair.
Rem charged forward this time.
Yuji stamped his foot on the ground.
And released it.
The web of cuts spread in a wide radius around him, like a silent explosion. Invisible lines shot through the air.
The surrounding Majus froze for a microsecond.
Then they divided.
Bodies fell to pieces almost simultaneously.
Silence.
Only Rem was left.
She stopped.
The red eyes fixed on him.
Rem still pressed against him, brute force against brute force. The ground cracked beneath their feet.
Yuji felt like he needed a second.
Just one.
He glanced quickly over his shoulder.
"Ram... have you ever played baseball?"
"...What is baseb—"
He didn't let it finish.
With a quick movement, Yuji grabbed Ram by the legs and spun her around, using his own body momentum.
"YUJI?!?!"
He released it.
Not brutally.
But with calculation.
Some surviving Majus looked up in confusion, seeing the pink-haired oni fly through the air.
Rem also looked.
Pure instinct.
She released the chain and jumped forward.
It caught Ram in the air, automatically protecting her from the impact.
Exactly what Yuji wanted.
The moment Rem held her—
The guard opened.
Yuji was already on the move.
He dashed forward, stepping over the broken stones, ignoring the pain in his severed arm.
It entered the space before she could react.
The hand wrapped in the gauntlet concentrated the cut.
Necessary.
Controlled.
Not to destroy.
But to interrupt.
He hit the horn.
A dry crack echoed.
The demonic energy dispersed like shattering glass.
The red aura wavered.
Rem's eyes lost their intense shine.
Her body instantly weakened.
Yuji caught them both before they fell.
Rem blinked once.
Confusion.
Tiredness.
"...Sister...?"
Then she passed out.
Silence fell over the forest.
The few remaining Majus retreated, disoriented by the loss of demonic pressure.
Yuji breathed heavily.
With a fainted oni in each arm.
"...It worked."
His arm throbbed.
The superficial cut was still bleeding.
But he smiled, tiredly.
"I think I invented a new sport here."
End of Chapter 8