A Shift In Perspective {Omamori Himari/Monster Girl Encyclopedia} (Finished)

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Journal Entry 4.1

The several hours of talking to the police, sweeping away and scanning for anything dangerously mystical left behind, and the ride back home was awkward to say the least. Shido remained her usual stone-face self, Himari sat beside me and glared at Kuesu as she sat across from us, and Anjelica snickered occasionally as she looked on.

When Shido dropped us off at my house Anjelica whispered a quick, "Good luck, Romeo.", before rushing into the house.

My mind was momentarily derailed in trying to get the reference before shaking my head and turning to Himari as both she and Kuesu entered and I locked the door behind us. "Himari? Could Kuesu and get some time alone?" She locked eyes with me and gave me a steady, hard look before giving a nod and heading upstairs, fluffy ears flat against her head.

Kuesu walked to the living room couch, shrugged off her coat, and sat down without a word. I approached and sat down close to her, my back facing her's as I knew it would make her more comfortable. She leaned back until our backs touched and she leaned her head against mine.

"I'm sorry." She said before I had even opened my mouth, much to my surprise. "You were only worried about me and I struck you for it."

"I'm sorry too. I went way over the line there."

"Your stupidity was born out of a genuine concern for my safety; which is excusable. Mine was born from jealousy and pride." She reached over and gave my hand a squeeze with her own, taking a deep breath to collect herself.

I squeezed back and waited, content to let her mull her thoughts over- it had worked well so far.

"... I went out there alone because I wanted to impress you, get a little attention." Kuesu said, almost in a rush. "It's the whole 'sharing you' arrangement."

"What? You don't need to impress me, or prove yourself, or anything like that-"

"Tell me the amount of times we've rendezvoused for anything except for carnal pursuits." She cut me off tersely before continuing. "I know it's irrational. There hasn't been much downtime after Shuten and Tamamo-no-Mae attacked, we had to suppress the sudden rise in rouge Yokai, and now these 'Mamono' show up-" Kuesu interrupted herself from rambling with a calming breath. "I don't particularly care that you're fornicating with almost everyone in the house, but now with Eparsi on top of everything else, we barely get to see each other."

She fell quite then, simple leaning against me and staring into space. Which gave some time to reflect; she was right, even if I didn't want her to be. I had just been sort of just going with the flow for the past couple of months, reacting and bouncing from one event to the next. And while the other girls might have been fine with infrequent affection, Kuesu had always wanted something a little more committed in our relationship. But we couldn't afford time to slow down with a powerful demon terrorizing the town.

Himari had been just as possessive too and she hadn't- , I thought just as the idea hit me.

"How long do we have to wait before we need to assault the last base?", I asked.

"Hmmm?" She intoned in a way that always sounded cute to me. "The police will need some time to process suspects, deal with the light show you put on, and the destruction I caused… My experience says they'll have a perimeter up and be ready to go by late afternoon tomorrow."

"Then let's go together this time; I can guard your back while you deal with offense.", I turned around then and Kuesu turned to face me as well, her eyes a little wide at my reference to our childhood memory. "It's not exactly a romantic evening out on the town, but I think it'll help reaffirm our bond outside of the bedroom."

Kuesu gave me a pleased smile, lavender eyes sparkling with life, before leaning forward to give me a firm kiss on the lips. "I'd love that." She snaked her arms around my neck and brought me into a deeper one, the positively scandalously low neckline of her dress predictably doing little to mask the feel of her.

We broke up our lip lock several seconds later, both of us a little short for breath. "I thought you said you were tired of the infrequent trysts?" I asked as she hugged me and trailed kisses along my collarbone.

"I disliked not being able to see you outside of those encounters." She breathed into my ear while running a hand through my hair as I caressed her hips. "Never that they were not enjoyable. Come on, let's go upstairs." She stood up and lead me by hand out of the living room and upstairs. She stopped occasionally to for another kiss or to give faint caresses, before stopping suddenly just before we reached my bedroom door. "We should probably do this before going any further."

I gave her a curious look as a small pentagram flared into existence around her hand, and then surprise as it flashed red when it nears me.

"Ah, just as I suspected. Which one was it?" Kuesu asked.

It only took me a moment to catch. "Lilinora and Ageha." I said shyly.

The look on her face made her enjoyment of my squirming clear. With a quick flick of her wrist a small velvet mote of light impacted my chest and shimmered over my body.

"There, that should take care of any residual infection that might have been left. I'll do the same for Ageha tomorrow." With that done, she opened the door to my room and we both strode in… and promptly stopped in our tracks at the sight before us.

Sorina lounged on her back on top of my king-sized bed, her obsidian black hair completely unbound and strewn out in a way that made her look far wilder than before. Ample amount of slender, pale skin was on display as she only wore silky lingerie that barely seemed up to the task of covering her modesty.

Small candles burned throughout the room, filling it with an incense that made me relax muscles and let go of stress that I hadn't even been aware of. Her blood red eyes regarded us coolly as we continued to just stand and stare in the doorway.

"S- Sorina. What is all this?" I spoke up first.

"Anjelica came to my room and was very adamant that you would need some cheering up tonight." Sorina replied in her usually throaty and near-deadpan tone. "I see now she may have jumped to conclusions about the stability of your relationship with the witch. Though I do hope you may still be open to a little companionship with more than one partner tonight?"

I glanced at Kuesu, put my hand in hers, before giving my response. "I'm sorry that you went to all this trouble, but I'd like to spend some alone time with Kuesu for tonight."

Kuesu blushed and gave my hand a squeeze while Sorina nodded her understanding, a light smirk tugging the edge of her lips. "I suspected as much. Do enjoy the incense." Sorina said as she got up, pulled on a white bathrobe I only now noticed was on dresser, and strode out of the room as we stepped aside for her.

I shut the door behind her and turned back around to see Kuesu stripping out of her clothes, lace underwear showing in a matter of seconds.

"Already?" I asked curiously, but began shucking off my own clothes, my tired and taunt muscles practically sang with release as they were completely exposed to incense in the room.

Kuesu stepped forward with an eye-catching role of her hips as she spoke. "Well, Sorina already set everything up, and while not magical, these candles are doing wonders for the mood." With that she wrapped her arms around me and fell back, dragging us both onto the soft bed below.

The rest of our long night flew by in a blur of alluring flesh, cathartic release, and sweet aromas.

***

Glimpses and fragments of the battle with Shuten and Tamamo-no-Mae once more; all of the pain, both physical and mental, replayed with disturbing clarity in my mind.

Though tonight it seemed different. I viewed the events with sort of cold detachment I hadn't been able to achieve before. It was still unsettling and frustrating, but I hoped that at least this much was a sign of improvement.

***

I was beckoned rather abruptly from my usual quasi-nightmares by the sound of a loud yawn right against me. Though I did manage to keep from flinching as Kuesu's tired vocalization finished reverberating in my ears.

She sat up, letting the blanket spool off of her as she stretched, making the slight musculature in her back flex alluringly.

"Thanks for the wakeup call." I said dryly.

"Oh, hush you."

We got washed up and dressed after that, only slowed down by some light flirting, and went down for breakfast.

The smell of freshly made eggs and bacon hit us before we even reached the kitchen, and so did Rinko's grumbling.

"Yuto, I'm grateful and all for you letting me stay here until this demon-thing blows over, but could you have a talk with your 'guests'? I don't much appreciate them getting handsy." Rinko was quick to address me as soon as we walked in.

Rinko was seated and glaring daggers at Lilinora, while Himari, Shizuku, Ageha, and Tama ate in relative silence. Amare and Anjelica were flanking Lilinora as they ate, the succubus looking a little cowed as she ate her breakfast.

"Hey, how was I supposed to know you were so closed minded? And it was only a little caress- Oww!" Lilinora's weak objections were cut off when Amare reached over and gave her elf-like ears a pinch.

Amare turned her head towards me. "I'd like to apologize on behalf of my subordinate; she's good for negotiating with unruly criminals and mobs, not daily life."

"I figured you were the one who handled negotiations." Kuesu commented before digging into her boiled eggs.

"Schmoozing with politicians and leaders is entirely different ball-game than dealing with the common riff raff, I assure you."

"... Are you going out again today Yuto?" Rinko asked tentatively after the conversation had lulled momentarily. "I saw the news yesterday and this morning; a building getting bombed in downtown and a 'tank truck' blowing up in the graveyard? A couple of guys with guns don't sound like they should be that much trouble."

"It's not minions that are the problem." I said. "They're just used to slow us down and to keep someone like Kuesu from coming in full-force. It's the practitioner and the constructs they have squirreled away that's trouble."

"Constructs? What kind?" She asked tentatively.

"Forced ghost amalgamation." Kuesu supplied helpfully.

Rinko's nose wrinkled a little at that before turning to me. "And yours?"

"Flesh golem."

Apparently, the implication of a flesh golem being in a cemetery was not lost on Rinko as her face paled a bit. "That's… less than reassuring."

Amare spoke up then. "As I have said; he is a demon still clinging to the old way of things. As such, he views people more as resources than as, well… people."

"I don't think you guys should worry though. I'm sure that me and Kuesu can handle the last one if we play it safe." I said.

"...Oh, is that so?" Himari intoned from her side of the table.

"Ah, y- yes." I said noncommittally, not wanting to lie but not wanting to bring up Kuesu's personal business in front of everyone.

Himari gives me a level, but I think understanding, look before replying. "Well then, since you'll be without your faithful bodyguard to help in melee; I will happily assist Sorina in your morning training today, just to sharpen those reflexes even further. You never know what could make the difference."

I groaned inwardly but nodded my ascension and shot Anjelica and Lilinora a glare when I heard them start to snicker.

XXX​

The forest looked particularly imposing as Shido's dark vehicle drove us up the dirt road towards the edge of the woods. We stopped just inside of the perimeter the police had set up; it was a different city, and thus a different department, but they still exuded that air of hyper competence I'd noted from the one's picked in my town.

Pleasantries were exchanged, Shido made sure we had our earpieces in, and then it was time to enter the forest.

We could already tell someone, and something, was hiding inside the forest, even without the assistance of magical senses. The woods had an oppressive air about, often the way things turned out when something truly sinister lingered in an area for too long. The trees looked decrepit, practically melting into the shadows of this particularly muggy day, and the grass and shrubbery didn't look much better.

Kuesu was in front and I was covering her back, we'd talked about potential strategies before and narrowed down the number of things Eparsi could twist to his own ends inside of a forest like this. And all though most of them would be particularly vulnerable to fire, using it against them risked setting the entire forest a blaze.

With a curt nod to each other, and a quick kiss for good luck, we stepped inside.

 

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Come now, we have no intention of fighting any of you. Lay down your weapons and quaint little animal spirits. Let us have a talk.

- Sandalphon Adventum - Lilim of the Vibrant South, arriving in South America

***

Next chapter will be up tomorrow.

 

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Journal Entry 4.2

We didn't make it more than three meters into the woods before the forest itself started to assault us. Five large roots ripped themselves up in a cloud of dust while a dozen spindly branches extended, all converging on our position… and slammed harmlessly against the barrier I held in place.

"Are you sure we shouldn't just crush all the wards and traps here?" I asked Kuesu as the trees, apparently unperturbed by the barrier, continued to wail away ineffectually. I was fueling the spell with a small trickle of Light Ferry, so it would take a lot more than what these low-grade constructs could muster to get through. But I was still a little hesitant to just walk through this magical mine field.

"Positive." She said simply before opening her small grimoire and chanting in a harsh series of old-Irish phrases, summoning the ghost sword, Caladbolg. It flared with old, aged power as Kuesu swiped it from left to right, slicing through all of the vegetation attempting to bar our way and dispelling the magic held within. "This isn't like with the cemetery or warehouse. There's a massive trap interwoven into every ward and curse placed over this patch of land. If we just smash it all, then we're likely to set it off as well. Our best bet is to get to the heart manually and carefully dismantle it." Another stroke, a flare of violet-blue power, and a dozen more reaching roots and branches were cut down.

I nodded my understanding and unsheathed my own blade, a dagger that, besides being made of silver, wasn't particularly special. It wouldn't be as devastating as Caladbolg but it should be enough to deal with most of the things in this forest; and I could always use Light Ferry to enhance it if the need for more raw power arose.

The slight ruffle of leaves and subtle change in the eerie quite of a forest nearly bereft of wildlife was the only warning I got, but it was enough. I strengthened my barrier just as a horribly loud buzzing filled the air around us and seemed to be getting closer with frightening speed.

Kuesu looked around and wrinkled her nose when she caught sight of the source. "How unsightly." She said just as a sea of insects fell atop us, spilling over the barrier before regrouping and trying to swarm against us once more. "This Eparsi must be getting desperate."

I was thankful in that moment that my barrier protected us in every direction, including below, even if that meant we dug a wide shallow trench everywhere we went. And Kuesu was right, the bugs weren't going to get past my shield, in fact I was pretty sure they were killing themselves with how hard they smashed against it. "I don't know, something feels off to me." I said as I tried to look past the cloud of constantly moving bugs.

My suspicions were proven correct a few seconds of walking later when what felt like a speeding car slammed into the side of our defense.

I was surprised, but my shield held and I didn't hesitate. With a flick of my wrist and brief concentration I sent out a flare of white light, essentially a ball of force, in that direction. The explosion flattened the uneven ground, nearly toppled a few trees, and blew away the entirety of the swarm around us. What remained was what I thought was a giant beetle with a wicked looking curved horn and a glossy black carapace. I say "I thought" because a second later when I got a better look at it, my assumption was proven wrong.

It was partially caved in by my attack, but still managed to shriek and rear back, standing a good two feet taller than me. The move revealed the thing's underbelly and betrayed its true patchwork nature. Except instead of being made of fused flesh like the golem from yesterday, this thing seemed to be made of millions of fused together insects and clumps of solid refuse. It didn't give me that feeling of visceral revulsion of seeing a human body bloodied and twisted, but it was disconcerting all the same.

'What is with this thing and amalgamations?' I thought just as Kuesu moved, apparently not fazed at all by the sight, and slashed down with Caladbolg. The creature fell back as it was split cleanly down the middle, more refuse and patchwork organs falling from the two halves.

"Disgusting." Kuesu sneered as she quickly stepped back into my range of protection.

"Does my fancy Witch need someone to hold her hand?" I chuckled, my offer only half-serious.

Kuesu's face flushed scarlet and she opened mouth to say something, though I did notice the corners of her mouth twisting into a smirk, when more insects rushed from all directions and swarmed us once more.

A loud snapping sound from above heralded another impact on my barrier, this one slamming on top of us and slashing downward wildly. This time the swarm wasn't so thick and we could clearly see the seven-foot tall praying mantis that screeched at us, something slick and viscous dripping from the maw as it's lower jaw split into two parts.

"Oh, to hell with this." I snarled and thrust my hand forward and adjusted my previous spell; this time the explosion was more like a rolling wave that flatten the swarm and flung the mantis several meters away. It spun in midair and land on its spindly legs, absorbing the force of it's landing before racing forward with surprising grace… but not fast enough.

Kuesu's book flew open once more as she held her hand up towards the charging mantis, with one harsh Latin word I didn't quite recognize, the giant insect stopped suddenly. It twitched and made an odd squealing sound before slowly bubbling down to nothing.

"I thought we agreed not to use fire." I asked after looking over the smoking puddle of what was left of the mantis.

"I didn't, not an ounce of combustible or spreadable flame was used there. It was just some immolation by boiling its blood from the inside-out."

I gave her a curt nod before we both started walking again, only to slow down as we heard more rustling leaves, snapping branches and twigs, and an encroaching buzzing.

"This is going to be long a night." I grumbled.

"How tedious." Kuesu said in agreement before reversing her grip on Caladbolg and readying her grimoire.

***

All told, it took us nearly half an hour to hack, slash, and blast our way to the center of the forest where Kuesu sensed the trap. We had to fight three more giant abominations and disperse twice as many swarms along the way. The first had been an odd fusion between a slug and a huntsman spider that vomited acidic slime over us, the second was a moth-wasp hybrid that actually presented some trouble for us to hit, and the last one seemed to be just a mass of writhing legs and feelers that took three blasts from me before it finally stopped moving.

Despite all of that, what I saw at the center was far more disturbing than those mindless creatures.

What we saw was a small wooden shack, not unlike the one I'd found the in the cemetery. It was overgrown with plants and insects, in contrast to the relatively flat clearing of grass it was surrounded by. And a couple of meters in front of the shack, in the center of the field, was a crucified young woman with glossy black hair that was slick with blood. The "cross" she was nailed to looked natural, as if it had just grown thick and long enough to accommodate her body. The girl was completely bare, long gashes running crisscross along most of her legs and torso, soaking the base of the tree and ground around her in blood. And embedded in her chest, dead center, was a gangly root of thorns and blood red roses; sticking straight out like a spear.

The sight was enough to bring all of the memories rushing back. I could remember the feeling of blood oozing between my fingers as I cradled Kuesu, the way her body steadily grew colder, and how her breathing continually got shallower. I must have knelt there, dazed by the sight for a full minute before something washed over me and I flinched, nearly letting down the barrier. Before I could say anything though Kuesu grabbed my hand, interlocking our fingers, and gave me a soft kiss. It felt like I'd been hit by a bolt of electricity as she closed her eyes and pressed harder until it became something deeper and firmer. We separated after what felt like an hour but was probably only a few seconds.

"Clam down, my love. I'm here for you but I need you to focus for me." She pointed to the strung up young woman. "Look closely, she's still breathing, if only barely. We can still save her, but I can't keep us concealed while also disarming that thing inside of her chest at the same time. And if Eparsi appears and notices us he might set it off prematurely. So, I need your help."

I brought myself out of the fugue of bad memories and gave her a nod before I placed a hand on the base of her neck and started looking at the spell she'd woven around us. From inside the air looked hazy and fogged while the sounds of the forest seemed entirely muted; I kept the spell in my mind as I linked the power within me to Kuesu, pushing a pool of mine into her own reserves.

Suddenly the air around us became so foggy and hazed that I couldn't see anything outside of it, but I knew that Kuesu wouldn't be so restricted. With a flick of her wrist and the grimoire opened and flipped to a page inscribed with a silver pentagram. Kuesu held the book in one hand and began to make a series of gestures with the other.

I gathered my will to focus my magic onto my eyes to see what she was doing… and felt quite silly when I saw nothing because the concealment she had around us blocked magical sight as well.

A few seconds later she put away the book and gave my free hand a squeeze. "Alright, I've got a grip on the root. I'm going to let down the concealment and pull it out, but I need you to rush over and heal her as soon as I do; she isn't stable enough to live through it for long."

I nodded and shifted my stance, less kneeling and more prepared to sprint now. Then with a snap of magic the bubble of fog popped, the sound of the forest rushed back, and I took off.

Three steps forward and the gnarled root inside of her chest flew off like it was launched from a rocket and sailed toward Kuesu who was still kneeling at the edge of the clearing. I reached her not a second later, steeled myself before pulling out the four railroad spikes that held her in place, and caught her as she fell.

As soon as she was in my arms I imbued her with Light Ferry, the rush of power made her pulse and glow with a bright golden light that lit up the entire clearing. Perhaps a bit overkill, but I wanted to be thorough just in case she was closer to the brink than I expected. When the light faded the woman was breathing fine and her body was completely unblemished, save for all the grime and blood that was smeared on her skin and in her hair.

I'd been aiming to heal, not clean.

I looked back at Kuesu just in time to see the effigy she'd retrieve crumble to ash from a direct hit from Caladbolg. Our eyes met and we booth let out cautious sighs of relief as the woman with sharp features began to stir in my arms.

That is, until the ground started to shake like there was an earthquake. Directly below me.

"W- wha? What happened? Where- " The woman started to mumble before I picked her up bridal style and ran full tilt toward Kuesu's position and focused my will once more to bring up my barrier around us.

The ground directly under the cross-tree began to expand upwards like a soap-bubble as the rumbling grew ever more intense. After reaching nearly ten feet tall and wide it popped into a cloud of dirt and shrubbery that washed over the entire field. The young woman in my arms began to sob and mutter apologies as the thing underground began to claw its way up, not that we were paying her much attention then.

The forty-foot-tall figure of twisted wood stood to it's full height and spoke in an oppressive voice that echoed throughout the forest like a bomb's aftershock. "Insignificant AMOEBAS!" It's twin burning coals for eyes rotated in the bloated animal flesh interwoven with hundreds of roots that was its head, it's maw a whole of sharpened bone. "You have trifled in matters beyond your station for too long. I believe it's time I taught you a lesson." It's fleshy head almost seamlessly tapered down to its broader wooden body of gnarled trees, arms and legs tapering into masses of roots that flexed and lashed out angrily.

I could feel him residing inside of their, his oily and festering presence pressing against my senses. This wasn't just some golem; it was a body he had linked himself to. It made him more powerful, able to bring most of his power to bare, but it also made him more vulnerable. And if I wasn't mistaken, he'd been planning to use this woman's body as an extra layer of protection, possibly to make us hesitate.

Kuesu looked up at the towering figure that lumbered towards us, each step making the ground quake as it positively radiated malice.

"Give me ten seconds."

Laying the sobbing woman onto the ground, shrugging off her desperate clawing hands, I reversed the grip on my dagger as I let go of the barrier, trusting Kuesu to pick up the defense. I couldn't afford to split my focus on this.

"Leave it to me." I said just as I flared out Light Ferry with everything I had and Eparsi charged me. I rocketed forward to meet him.

No reason to keep him waiting.

 

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Journal Entry 4.3

Instead of trying to slam into me head-on, Eparsi moved to run around me and extended an arm towards Kuesu and the woman. This was expected; Eparsi wasn't stupid and I hadn't expected him to be.

I pivoted and lashed out with my dagger and Light Ferry, raw physical force roaring forth in an arcing wave. The impact cut off his arm at the elbow and split two trees down the middle. Eparsi stumbled to the side from the sudden loss of mass, momentarily off balance and I capitalized.

Dashing forward with a pirouette I let out another wave of force that took off his legs at the "knees" and jumped away just as he crashed to the ground. I reversed the grip on my dagger and prepared to rush him again.

It was a brief sound, barely even a second of rustling leaves but it was enough. I immediately dropped to the ground as a thick root that had been snacking through the grass stabbed through the space where my neck had been and went ten inches into a tree's trunk.

I backed up and circled around Eparsi as he regenerated his "limbs" in a matter of seconds. As soon as he was back up and his red eyes locked on to me again I charged him, a plan already forming in my mind.

His maw creaked open and I held up my hand, forming a shield just in time to divert the barrage of bone shards that rocketed out. Then had to pull up short and spin back as three more roots sprung and stabbed at my side, the move was meant to make me back off but I couldn't let it.

Instead of backing up further I strengthened my body with Light Ferry, pulsing with golden light, before charging forward in a burst of speed; barreling through and ignoring the roots that tried to wrap around and stab through me.

Eparsi swung one of his trunk like arms after seeing that the roots were just being torn apart and instead of dodging, I dug in deep and put on an additional burst of superhuman speed using Light Ferry. There was a thunderous crash as I smashed through his arm and slammed into his torso, making him stagger back as my knees slammed several inches deep into the leathery wood of his body.

I looked up at the disgusting visage of Eparsi and thought that I could see his inhuman features twist into genuine surprise and fear before I plunged the dagger into his body and let loose once again. The raw force of it blew me back and punched a two-meter-wide whole through his body in a spray of splintered wood.

I reoriented myself mid-air to land skidding on my feet over a dozen meters away and watched as Eparsi backed up rapidly. The hit I'd gotten in was purely cosmetic and was already healing but the blow had come close enough to the vulnerable pulsing mass of where a heart would be on a human body; his core. He'd made a strong connection to this crafted form, effectively making it his physical body, and that meant, probably for the first time in a long time, he was vulnerable to a true death. Not at all dissimilar to what Himari had done to Shuten.

Eparsi's body finished reforming in less than three seconds as over a hundred new serrated roots and branches extended and surrounded me, he also got onto all fours and his "throat" began to distend out like a toad. The trap was simple yet effective; he was going to use a greater concentration of tendrils to trip me up while he prepared to cover a wide area in whatever he was about to throw-up.

But it was already too late, the ten seconds were up.

An ethereal pentagram appeared on the ground around Eparsi that lifted him into the air, at the same time every root and branch encircling me went limp and fell to the ground, his connection to them cut-off by the circle.

Kuesu floated above the demon as it stabilized in the air, her cloak was missing now as she held an open palm over Eparsi as she held her glowing grimoire in the other. Eparsi flailed around and tried to extend his arms to wail against the barrier as I ran away to get some more distance from the blast zone. I'd seen Kuesu fight enough times now that I knew she was a fan of finishing things off with a bang.

I scooped up the black haired young woman, whose form was now draped in Kuesu's cloak, into my arms just as Kuesu finished casting and the spell impacted Eparsi.

Instead of a thunderous crash like I expected, I heard something similar to a vacuum sucking in air before my ears poppe

And then there was an incredible impact and I nearly tripped as I needed to jump out of the way of a forming crevice and adjust to the earth beneath me inclining upwards. I clutched the woman in my arms closer as I managed to stabilize our position and looked back at Kuesu.

She was still floating but instead of being over Eparsi she was floating above a split in the earth, all the terrain around her cracked and inclining upwards from the impact.

"Is he…" I trailed off, not wanting to get a closer look with a civilian in my arms.

"I hit him center mass and I can't sense or see him anymore." Kuesu floated over to us then and put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

I nodded my understanding and gave the area one last sweep with my magical senses. There were a few miscellaneous trinkets and necklaces in the shack, but nothing dangerous and certainly nothing as noticeable as a demon like Eparsi.

"We should get her out of the forest and to the authorities. That woman might be stable, but she's probably very shaken." Kuesu said, waving a glowing hand in front of the confused and tear-streaked woman's face, putting her to sleep.

"Yeah." I said, an odd sense of weariness coming over me that I pushed down when I saw the pleased smile Kuesu's face. I didn't want to ruin the mood for her. We started our trek back through the woods, guard still up but not as rigorously as before, and I tried to keep an amiable silence before the desire to ask overwhelmed me.

"This is why they're so tolerated isn't it? Amare and the others." I said.

Kuesu gave me a questioning look so I elaborated.

"Why the factions in the west so readily accepted and were willing to work with these new versions of demons. Because every demon being like and lead by something like Eparsi was the alternative."

She nodded her understanding. "Yes, that is most likely the case. Though that alone wouldn't be enough to manage the kind of peace and cooperation they apparently have. It makes me wonder…"

"What?"

"Well, there are two possibilities. Either they're far stronger than I've been able to sense from them or there are individuals within their faction with enough power to keep the peace within an entire continent."

* * *

We arrived back at my house a few hours later. The young woman, whose name we now knew was "Mu", was safely in police custody. She was a college woman that had gone missing a few weeks ago, presumably kidnapped by Eparsi or one of his former contractors, and she had some light talent for magic.

She would most likely be released from custody before the night was over, back with her family hopefully.

What greeted us on when I opened the door was a pleasant surprise though. Rinko, Himari, Shizuku, Ahega, Amare, and the rest of her crew were all waiting in the main room for us. Himari and Rinko looked more concerned than curious like the others, while Amare and her friends had an odd glint of hope in their eyes.

"We sensed it all the way from here." Amare spoke up before anyone else could. "We felt him disappear but we just wanted to be sure that he was truly…" She trailed off and looked at us imploringly.

Me and Kuesu shared a look before she gestured for me to go first. "It was a close thing. But yes, Kuesu and I did manage to destroy him. I set him up and Kuesu dealt the killing blow."

A wave of relief seemed to wash over all of them, Rinko and Himari immediately darted forward and started pestering me with questions and wringing their hands over the rips in my coat. While Amare, Lilinora, Sorina, and Sophia whispered excitedly to each other. Though I did barely notice that Anjelica merely stood to the side, hands balled into fists so tight that her knuckles were white.

Before I could focus on it for long Amare was suddenly in front of me, a small almost sheepish smile on her face. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a gentle kiss, body pressing against mine in an affectionate embrace. My eyes flew open in surprise, this was the first bit of carnal affection she'd shown me since arriving here, it felt like a little jolt of electricity had gone through me and all the aches and pains of my body instantly faded.

After a few seconds we separated and she met my eyes once more. "Thank you. Sincerely and truthfully thank you for this great service. Our western sisters are forever in your debt."

I stared at her a little shell-shocked before saying. "Y- yeah, no problem. I was just doing my job."

Her smile turned coy and she leaned in for another kiss but Kuesu put a hand on both of our chests and pushed us apart. "Yes yes, we're very thankful for your gratitude. But Yuto has more pressing things to attend to than trysts with you lot without permission."

"Eparsi is dead now, what other pressing matters does he have?"

Mind flickered through my own confusing emotions, the nightmares, the friends I needed to protect and haven't seen in a while, and my eyes may have flickered over to Anjelica's sulking form.

"There may be a few I need to address tomorrow. How do you feel about meeting new people?"

 

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Very sorry about the delays guys; had a few life emergencies that came up and needed to make a proper backlog of content.

As the title suggests: this story will now consistently update on Mondays and Thursdays.

 

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Journal Entry 4.4

"Yuto!" An energetic voice shouted before less than one-hundred pounds of teenage girl jumped onto my back and I intentionally stumbled a bit before straightening up as Haru fully settled into a piggy-back-ride position.

"Nice to see you again too, Haru." I chuckled before turning around to see Taizo step out of his house and down the steps of the small porch. "Long time no see, Taizo."

He flashed me a grin before giving me an awkward high-five as Haru tightened her grip, legs wrapping around my torso. "You said you wanted to hang out today man?" He asked. "It's been awhile since we just got to pal around, and you've missed the past few days of school too."

I grinned sheepishly before responding. "Yeah, I got pretty sick and decided to on top of school for the week. But I'm better now, and since it's the weekend I figured I might as well visit." I turned with Haru still on my back and heard both of them gasp as my three guests rounded the corner and stepped onto the sidewalk in front of their house. "I brought a new friend with me too."

Neither were surprised by Rinko and Himari stepping into view, they'd been friends with them for months now. No, who caught their attention this time was Amare, or at least how her glamour made her appear to them.

Amare now looked a head shorter than before with the youthful curves and figure of a college freshman in lieu of the more mature figure she usually struck her. She had lightly tanned skin, as if she had lived in a tropical climate, and her hair was a natural looking jet-black but instead of letting it hang down like Himari did she wore it in a tight pony tail. The way the almost too-tight school uniform that she had conjured hugged her assets didn't hurt the image either.

"Hello~" She called out with a slightly British tinge to her accent before jogging up to the now slack-jawed Taizo and gave him a firm handshake. "My name is Amare Novus. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I felt Haru silently get off of my back before she cautiously approached the disguised and intimidating demoness. "Y- you're Yuto's new friend?" Her voice was uncharacteristically meek compared to her usual energetic tone, though she still did extend a hand in greeting. One that Amare eagerly shook.

"Yep! I'm a foreign exchange student from out of town. From the same one that Himari-san is from, in fact, she's the one that introduced Yuto and I. Isn't that right?" Amare said and turned her head to look back at Himari.

My bodyguard just put a hand on her hips and rolled her eyes until Rinko gave her an elbow and she nodded in the affirmative. "It is as she says."

It was pretty flimsy as covers went but it seemed us betting on Amare's glamour and natural charm to take care of things would probably pay off. "Why don't we head on inside, you said you had some movies prepared Taizo?"

"Uh, yeah." Taizo almost stuttered before Amare grabbed his and Haru's hand, leading them both inside. She really turned up the charm then, Taizo and Haru gazes were firmly fixed upon her as they all walked forward and out of sight.

The glamour made Rinko blink rapidly before shaking her head to clear her mind. "Wow, she's scarily good at that."

Himari didn't look affected at all, just slightly annoyed. "It is in her nature but do not be too concerned about it. She has proven herself to have at least some self-control. And besides," Suddenly she was beside me and her arms interlocked with mine. "Our life mate isn't affected by such blatant trickery." She said before leaning in and giving me a firm kiss, nothing to deep but possessive.

I reciprocated for a few seconds before putting a hand on her shoulder and disengaging the kiss. But before I could say anything Rinko was at my side and had captured my lips in short order after getting on her tip-toes. I nearly melted into her embrace as well, hands gripping her waist, before I felt a purr against my ear and a long leg hook around my waist.

With a little effort and a lot of blushing I detangled myself and pushed them both toward the front entrance. "Ok, I get it, I get it. But I need to start working and we shouldn't be doing that kind of thing in public." I said hastily as I scanned the street and thankfully saw no one else walking about. "Amare's glamour will help but they'll eventually notice if I'm gone for too long."

They both pouted but relented and went inside, leaving me to my work.

I scanned the street one more time before starting a circuit around the house and using Light Ferry to amplify the spell I began casting. I opened my well of power and started pouring it into a large circle around the house, a lot of power poured into a relatively thin line that, when connected and encircling something, would form quite the impressive barrier that would repel malicious yokai.

My thoughts drifted to last night's preparations for today. I'd wanted to bring more of Amare's friends but every last one of them had rejected the offer. Sorina simply wasn't interested, to the surprise of no one. Lilinora, Anjelica, and Ageha were hanging out themselves today, which worried me a little. And Sophie was busy servicing Tama the entire day at the fox girl's personal request, something that worried me even more but wasn't something I could do much about. Tama was plenty strong enough to take care of herself anyways.

The circle closed with a muted gold glow from the ground where I had worked, and I quickly joined my friends inside, careful to close and lock the door behind me. They were seated in the living room and an action movie was playing on the TV. Amare turned down the charm as soon as she caught sight of me, Taizo and Haru losing the glazed look in their eyes in short order.

"So, this is the movie you picked?" I asked Taizo after sitting down on the main couch, which predictably set him off on a rant about the plot of the movie. Something about a lone man facing down a city of raiders during the apocalypse. My lap was suddenly full of busty cat-girl half-way through his explanation, but he seemed too into the movie to notice and put I my arms around Himari to bring her closer, resting my chin on her shoulder as we both settled in to watch.

I hadn't been lying about my wanting to hang out with him and Haru again. This quasi sense of normality was exactly what I needed; To both ease the weight off my shoulders and to keep me grounded and connected to normal society.

The visit with Yu went far quicker both because she was busy cramming that day and because her residence was small and thus easier to secure. Though, due to Yu's relative resistance due to her experience with Tama, it was amusing to see Amare have to use actual charisma instead of relying on her charm magic.

Though if I was being completely honest about it, I may have also rushed with Yu because Himari, Kuesu, and I had a prior engagement that I wished to get over with as soon as possible.

As such it was seven PM when we all arrived at the meeting spot; the top of a small skyscraper in the heart of the red-light district. The high concentration of active people decreased the chances of any rouge Yokai appearing and the constant noise and flashing lights would also help prevent us from being overheard. Assuming Kuesu hadn't already been concealing us at the time.

"So, are you ready to talk?" Kuesu asked as she jumped down from a mini-water tower and onto the roof. She stood up straight, both hands on her hips, as she gave me a level look.

"What do you-" I almost said in a poor attempt to buy time before Himari cut me off.

"The nightmares." She said simply as she sat atop an air conditioning unit, legs swinging slightly.

"Oh… well. How long have you known?"

"Ever since we slept together the night before we destroyed Eparsi." Kuesu responded.

"I have known for a few days longer but I had thought they were mild things." Himari added.

"They were usually less intense whenever either of you two were with me." I said, which seemed to bring a brief smile to both their faces before their expressions turned serious once more. "I'm guessing you want to know why I hid it from you all?"

They both nodded.

I shrugged and almost shuffled my feet a bit. My secrecy was something I'd never really thought about much so it took me a few seconds. "In the beginning I guess I thought I could just muddle through and after they got worse there always seemed to be something more important going on."

Kuesu nodded before striding over to me and taking my hand. "I thought as much. It is disturbingly reminiscent of how I did not handle my… 'resentment' very well and instead buried it. The fact that you also didn't exactly look happy after we attacked Eparsi only served to confirm my suspicions."

"And that brings us to another problem." Himari said before striding over and taking my other hand. "I understand that you two took on that mission alone because you wished to reaffirm the non-carnal side of your relationship. But I know the opportunities that will call for such collaboration are few and I doubt your deficiency has been solved with that single mission."

"Deficiency!?" Kuesu nearly squawked and I suddenly felt very nervous about being between the two.

Himari simply shrugged. "That is how it appears to me. I am perfectly secure and confident in my relationship with Yuto. Even if current circumstances mean that we only enjoy the romantic side through physical trysts." She responded before giving my neck a light nuzzles, biting playfully.

Kuesu grumbled and lowered her head a bit while I almost sulked despite Himari's affections. Eventually the neko stopped with a sigh before giving us both an annoyed look. "Why not go to a therapist?"

"What?"

"Or a counselor, whichever it's called. I've heard of the profession when watching one of those 'soap operas' that seem so popular these days." Himari said.

"I- I never even thought of that." I stuttered a bit before mulling it over. The idea had never occurred to me before, but it didn't sound too bad in hindsight.

"I don't know." Kuesu mumbled.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Well, our department does have one. It's just usually used by underlings like Kaburagi. Demon Slayers making use of one could damage our reputation."

"I believe a stable relationship is worth far more than a temporary dip in opinion others might have about us." I said, giving her hand a squeeze.

Kuesu locked eyes with me before sighing and drawing closer, burying her blushing face into the crook of my neck. "Fine. The nearest local one that Kaburagi's department uses is called Mrs. Diana. I'll try to get in touch with him tomorrow about it."

I lifted up her chin and gave her a kiss on the lips, wiping the pout off her face while also making her blush a bit more.

"Is that all for tonight then?" Himari asked a little exasperated from my other side, purple kimono running up as she pressed herself to me.

"There is one other thing." I said. "I think Anjelica is hiding something from us and we need talk with Amare about exactly how things work back in west with her faction. Both of which should go fine but I believe we should prepare just in case things become… volatile."

 

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Journal Entry #4.5

I woke up to the feeling of silky black hair and the smell of sweat, cats, and light perfume. I was clothed, an odd state of wake-up attire for me these days, and so were my partners to my great surprise. Himari was dressed in her usual loose fitting white kimono and had firmly planted her rump on my crotch, curled up against me like a, well, cat. Kuesu was in a rather plain black bra and panties combo which did nothing to diminish the allure of her half-naked body as she held me from behind in the "big spoon" position.

It took a minute or two of gentle whispers, petting, and squirming before I was finally let go to take a shower.

What followed afterwards was a particularly well-made breakfast of eggs and rice by Shizuku that was made extremely awkward by the fact that Sophie substituted all of the utensils with her… biomass. And by "awkward" I meant stressful when I tried to ignore how erotic her moaning was when we all first started eating.

And the shrieking that followed when Kuesu burned it.

Kuesu left right after breakfast to check on her apartment, she had items in there she didn't feel safe leaving alone for any extended period of time. Afterwards Lilinora took off to "do some sightseeing" dressed in clothes so risky that calling it skintight and see-through was only slightly inaccuret. And Anjelica excused herself to do some more preparations for when the other Demon Slayers returned.

As for me; I took the opportunity to relax in my living room, taking this rare opportunity of stress-free reality to turn my brain off and watch some mindless TV before two blood-suckers started accosting me.

I was watching some weird game show when Sorina sauntered in front of me and bent over to turn off my flat screen. I may have let gaze settle on her hear shaped bottom, that seem to be barely constrained by criminally tight jeans, as she had a knowing smirk on her face as she turned around to face me.

"What did you do that for? You could've just asked to talk." I said, trying to puzzle out her sudden interruption.

"I got permission." She said simply, putting strangely alluring emphasis on the last word, almost drawing it out. She then strode over and planted herself on to my lap, wrapping her arms around me and pressed her tight sweater clad chest against mine, her red eyes twinkling with anticipation.

"Permission for what?" I responded, managing to keep my tone even as I places my hands on her hips and kept her from moving against me. Instead her breathing deepened and she started nuzzling my jaw line.

"To feed from on you." A familiar voice popped up from behind me just before Ageha leaned forward and looked down at us from behind the coach. She gave me a toothy grin and shrugged. "She did ask nicely and promised to only take a little. And don't worry, I'll be watching; for your safety of course." She finished with a wink.

Sorina's affections had become even more insistent at this point, butterfly kisses on my jaw line, flicks of her thin tongue at my ear, and sucking lightly at the nape of my neck. Her eyes weren't half-lidded from hunger like I had come to expect from Ageha, she was still in complete control and knew what she was doing, this was just the equivalent of foreplay for her.

With a light sigh and minimal muttering, I leaned my head back, exposing my neck fully to the short, frisky nosferatu.

Her right hand immediately snaked up to the back of my head as she ran her fingers through my hair, taking a firm grip, before leaning forward and giving my neck another kiss. Her lips were slightly parted and the kiss was directly on the biggest vain in my neck. I was confused at first, then understanding crept in as an unnaturally pleasant and numbing sensation spread from where her lips and tongue touched just before I felt her fangs extend and she finally bit into me.

The sensation was incredibly similar to what Ageha's feedings felt like. I didn't feel so much as a pinprick as she sunk her fangs in completely, in fact, the sensation caused a little tingle to go up my spine and the sensation of my blood being drained was almost comparable to the pleasure of certain other oral activities.

I could feel my mind being pulled into a sedative and suggestive state by her bite but with a minor effort of will I pushed back against the pull and kept my mind mostly clear. After a dozen or more seconds of grinding, sucking, and gasping from both of us she disengaged from my neck with an audible pop, a little trail of blood at the corner of Sorina's mouth being the only sign of her feeding.

"Udivitel'nyy…" She mumbled a little in what I assume was Russian before dismounting from me and flopping back onto the couch, legs across my lap.

I rubbed the side of my neck, even though the small wound had already healed, just to abate the soreness. I looked up and shooed Ageha away when I saw her leering and doing something rather inappropriate. "Go on, get out of here. I'm not interested in donating anymore blood today."

Instead of getting angry as I'd expected she simply reached down to give my cheek a soft caress before sauntering off.

I reached over and grabbed the remote and turned back on the television before I felt Sorina shift on my lap. Reaching down to stroke her black hair I said. "Are you going to behave?" She nodded and hummed her agreement before settled back into the couch. I could usually handle just one but two of our guests acting up on the same day, on top of the girl's usual antics, was a little much even for me. Especially with what I had planned for the evening.

At least the worst of it was probably past me.

* * *

Kuso, I should've known.

It was late afternoon now; the sky having changed to an eerier dark-purple with an abundance of clouds making it look like the day had completely given way to night earlier than usual.

Amare stood in front of us in her true demonic form, porch light making her smooth purple skin gleam. But even her beauty wasn't nearly as attention grabbing as the slender and naked succubus she held up by the scruff of her neck, bat-like wings drooped comically and both of her cheeks an angry red.

Me and Kuesu, who I'd had to wait on to return, stood under the porch in front of the duo, our faces a complete deadpan.

"First of all; I would like to offer my deepest apologies for my subordinate here." Amare said, gesturing at the pouting Lilinora she still held of her feet. "I caught her meddling with the local criminal element and decided to intercept her and notify you instead of attempting to hide such matters."

"… It's not that big of a deal, if I'm being honest; so long as she wasn't specifically trying to instigate more violence between gangs. So, I have to ask; what exactly was she doing?" Kuesu asked after a brief pause from looking at me to make sure I hadn't just been staring at Lilinora's bare, pale form the whole time.

Which I wasn't. At least not long enough for her to notice.

"I was just trying to worm my way in," Lilinora started off, initially trying to wiggle out of Amare's iron grip before giving up with a huff. "Maybe charm away some of the real disgusting ones and clean things up for when my sisters arrive."

"What do you mean by 'clean things up'?" I prompted.

"Like young humans, the younglings of our kind are often enthusiastic and relatively inexperienced, which means that brushes with organized crime, while rare, can end in… complications. So, we have found that simply manipulating them into being less of a presence in any given area where our kind flourishes helps. Nipping something in the bud, as some might say." Half-way through her rather elegant explanation Amare let go of Lilinora's neck with a nod of approval.

"Ok, and what part of that necessitated getting naked?" Kuesu asked.

"I'm a succubus." Lilinora said with a shrug.

"Understandable," I spoke before the conversation could go on any further, there was only so much time in the day after all. "But I heavily suggest you refrain from such activities until after your meeting with the other Demon Slayers and head families."

"Precisely." Amare concurred tersely before shooing Lilinora inside and waited a few seconds, probably reaching out with her other senses to make sure we were truly alone. "So, based on the looks your both giving me, I'm guessing you've got something to talk with me about as well?"

"Was it that obvious?" I chuckled, cheeks almost reddening at how easily found out we'd been.

"Your fox friend caught me off guard when we first met but make no mistake, I've become quite proficient at reading people over the centuries."

Kuesu and I both ignored what most would consider the impossibility of someone who looked to be in her late twenties claiming to be centuries old and lead Amare back into the house and sat her down in one of the guest rooms.

"Might as well get comfortable." Amare muttered before flapping her wings once, floating over to the bed and sat down facing us with her legs crossed in the lotus position.

Kuesu flicked her wrist and two chairs skidded along the floor and settled down behind us, allowing all to sit down and talk instead of being forced to stand the entire time. "We want to talk a little bit more about how your movement in the west functions. Specifically; who and what your enforcers are."

"Ah, figured it out then? That particular topic is usually saved for the more official meetings since most who aren't leaders themselves don't notice." Amare's tail stopped swinging and she gave us an appraising look. "Though I suppose you two could be considered leaders of some type. Our enforcers, as you call them, are called 'Lilims'. The direct descendants of the Demon Lord herself."

Taken aback by the news, I felt my eyebrows climb up a bit. "That… would certainly help with the peacekeeping side of things. How many are there?" I said, silently wondering who the father was.

"Currently only three are conscious and actively working with us. One for the north, west, and southern regions of the human world. With one for the east rising as soon as we form an official pact with your leaders here."

"And they can help cover such a large area? Just how powerful are these Lilims?" Kuesu asked.

Amare smirked a bit. "Hmmm, I don't want to give away any weaknesses but if I were to put them on a scale." I noticed at not so subtle hint of pride in her voice when she responded next. "In terms of raw power, they make something like Eparsi seem like a mere firefly. After all it was our northern one, Shateiel Cessabit, who had destroyed all of his allies and driven him back in a single night."

 

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Journal Entry 4.6

"How long do we have?" I asked simply, my tone curious.

"It's not really an exact science-" Amare started to say.

"How long." Kuesu said with more bite in her voice, the line a command, not a question.

"As of right now?" She said while stroking her chin. "I'd say give her one-to-two more weeks before she's fully manifested and then a few more hours to reach full maturity."

"The more I hear about you Mamono the less sure I am of your chances of integration." I say with a sigh. "First it was a partially infectious magical virus that changed other supernatural beings, then you reveal it can affect humans given enough time combined with steady exposure, you can't produce males yet, and now you say you have what sound like the strongest demons in history under your command."

"Well when you say it like that it sounds suspicious." Amare replied with a not-insignificant amount of sarcasm. "Honestly; the words I spoke when we first met are true and your allies verified them herself. We have no intention of usurping human authorities or causing undo chaos with other paranormal creatures, us Mamono only wish to prosper in peace."

"That much is true, yes." Kuesu acquiesced. "But for how long? What will your Demon Lord do once her influence strengthens and she gives you Mamono the capacity to birth sons as well as daughters?"

Amare frowns at the accusatory question before answering. "I won't pretend to intimately know every detail of the future plans our ruler has but she has given us rather simple instructions for the future. Once the problem of our limited reproduction is fixed we are to slowly grow our population within what you humans and other creatures deem reasonable."

'You won't grow very large then.' I thought pessimistically but kept the sentiment to myself. "I think that's what has got me so cautious." I said instead. "I consider myself an optimist but your Demon Lord is putting a level of trust and faith in humanity that seems excessive even to me."

"She loves you." Amare said without hesitation and with serious conviction. "If nothing else, trust in the fact that she loves humanity unconditionally. That I know for a fact."

Either she'd become radically better at bold-faced lies since our last serious talk or I was being charmed, which thanks to my training, I knew I wasn't. Amare appeared to be telling the truth, I looked over to Kuesu and from the look in her eye I could tell she thought the same.

"Sorry about grilling you like this." I said as I got up from the chair. "I'm usually the one that's all in support of peaceful coexistence and have to hold Kuesu back-" I continued before having to pause when Kuesu slapped my shoulder indignantly. "But even I need to be vigilant when something this big gets dropped on our doorstep."

Amare chuckles. "It's quite alright." She uncrossed her legs and flapped her wings once to stand back up, facing me. "I have heard rumors about you as my group made its way across Japan, and just as you've been observing me I have been looking upon you. And I must say that I wholeheartedly approve of the gentle young man I've seen." She leaned in while talking, our noses an inch apart, before giving me a gentle kiss on the lips when she finished.

"Uh, thank you." I say as I pulled back and was a little startled to see her lean forward give Kuesu a brief peck on the lips as well. Kuesu doesn't seem to react to it more than with just a light blush. Seeing an opportunity to end things smoothly I took it. "Now if you don't mind I would like to go have a talk with Anjelica before the night is through."

We both turned to walk out of the door but I stopped when a hand tugs at my sleeve. I turned back to see Amare giving me a concerned look. "I know what you're trying to do and I completely support your effort. But I think I should give you a piece of advice I haven't been able to employ since she won't listen to me; when the opportunity presents itself do not allow her to run away from the memory."

"What memory?" I asked.

"That is for her to tell, not me. Now go console my subordinate."

* * *

Anjelica seemed to be checking over a truly daunting pile of papers when I walked in, me and Kuesu had long decided that I should do this alone and gave me a curious smile as I approached.

"Oh? Is there something I can help you with Demon Slayer?"

"Demon Slayer? You've never called me that before."

"It would seem kinda stupid not to considering what you did last night."

"Well don't. I much prefer it when people call me by name most of the time." I said. "And to answer your previous question; I noticed that you've been working in your room all day and wanted to see if I could help."

"Oh, finally!" Anjelica said with some exasperations. "Everyone else in my group avoids paperwork like it's a contraceptive."

I ignored the odd phrasing and sat down next to her. "So, what would you like me to do?"

"Hmmm." She intoned while rubbing her chin before pointing at four lose piles of papers. "I've got an intricate system here, so I'll start you off with something simple; organize those papers by size until I tell you to stop."

I nodded and scooted over to the pile and got to work. After organizing the first dozen or so I noticed there were some rather significant differences between the different forms besides length. The longest were actually magical contracts in what I recognized as Latin, the second were a detailed list of mission objectives and talking points, and the last and shortest were legal contracts focusing on immigration privileges and rights as citizens Mamono would have.

It honestly scared me a little how prepared they were but it was also impressive in how they were genuinely competent. "You know, sometimes it's easy to forget how organized and composed you really are behind all of the fluff and snark."

Anjelica sniffed and flicked her cocoa-colored tail in my direction, the toothy grin on her face showing that she wasn't really annoyed.

"Which is why I was so surprised by how you looked when me and Kuesu came home after killing Eparsi."

She stiffened a little at that, the ears on top of her head folding back. "Oh. You noticed that?"

"Standing off to the side and sulking with balled fists was a little unusual for you." I said honestly.

Anjelica shifted her position a bit, from on her knees to cross legged as she seemed to mull over her response. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you now that things are over. But there's no real way to do so without being blunt about it."

"Really?" I asked, a little surprised. "People usually say something like; 'Why do you even care?'."

"I'm not going to do that because I'm not a dumby." Anjelica said snippily. "You're not the only one of the group I've talked to. And Ageha was particularly clear about how stubborn you can be when your mind is set." She said, wagging a finger at me. Though she quickly dropped the lecturing demeaner and explained. "You know how Eparsi killed a lot of people back in America during his last strike? One of them was my sister."

I had expected as much, or at least something similar, but my blood still boiled and a knot of frustration formed in my stomach knowing how much that hurt and how little I could personally do about it. I nodded at her to continue.

"Her name i- was Amelia." She took another deep breath. "I was off doing freelance work at the time in New York, one of the recently acquired territories at the time. So, I didn't get the news until two days after the fact. She was always the family favorite, the pride of our dray while I was a bit of a black sheep." Anjelica finished before resting a fist against her cheek, her posture sagging. "I always traveled around a lot, was the first one to leave home, and didn't indulge in men as often." She looked increasingly dejected at recalling the memories. "I actually looked up to her a bit. And then she was just gone."

I saw something shift in her eyes, her gaze drifting to the paper work around us, and I was suddenly reminded of Amare's warning. "You ever think about what you could have done had you been there?" I said to keep the momentum of the conversation focused on that subject.

"I had some delusions about trapping him inside of a self-destroying contract." She mumbled. "And when he showed himself again I actually started making one. But then you and your fiancé went off and killed him and… here we are."

"And let me guess; it's still eating you up? Even though it's all over?" I said before quickly adding on. "Not to imply I know what you've been through. My loss was at least temporary."

"Yeah, but what can you do?" She shrugged a little. "Just need to keep chugging along I guess."

"Not necessarily." I said timely and took her hand, causing her to look up at me curiously. "How do you feel about therapists?"

 

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Journal Entry 4.7

The next few days passed in relative peace and tranquility. The local Yokai community had calmed down significantly, the sudden rise in rouges having subsided, much to Shizuku's ally's approval and relief.

Not to say that Kuesu and myself weren't busy; even the relatively clean fights we'd had came with a cost. Reports needed to be filled and filed, I needed to meet back up with the "council of Yokai" to give them a report and talk with Amare's more about their "kind". Like every group, not all of their members were completely benign or had, relatively, pure intentions; this was mostly a problem with the chaos creatures though. All of that activity did wonders to help Anjelica, Kuesu, and I almost forget about the anxiety we felt over the upcoming therapy session Kaburagi had gotten for us.

Which was why, when our chauffeur dropped us off at the counselling center, not even the thoughts of Mindflayer masterminds and wondering Atlach-Nachas could keep our minds off of our nerves.

"Let's just get this over with." Kuesu said as she tugged on the sleeve of her silvery blouse, black trim winding down and around it in a spiral that seemed temper perfectly into the ink-black, flowery pattern on her long skirt. She then glanced at Anjelica's posterior, it's roundness barely contained by the jeans she wore, though her brown shirt did hide anything that might have shown. "This is just a therapy appointment, you know? No need to use glamor to exaggerate your assets."

Anjelica snapped her head towards Kuesu, now lacking it's two squirrel-like ears as her short brown hair swayed, towards Kuesu with a scoff of indignation. "Why I- I'll have you know that I've always had a perfect bubble-butt, glamour or no. It's just that it's usually concealed by equally impressive tail." She said before shooting Kuesu's own backside a sidelong look. "Don't get snippy just cause' you're lacking in that department."

I saw Kuesu bristle at that and decided to step in. "Come on, girls; we don't want to be late." I said as I took Kuesu's hand and kept walking toward the marble staircase that lead up to the glass double-doors of the entrance.

She glared at the diminutive Mamono one last time before stepping through the doors with me, Anjelica grabbing onto my other arm just as we past the threshold. What greeted us was an elderly woman with bleach white hair tied in a bun and with what looked like a perpetual scowl on her face. She was sat behind a desk and looked up from a computer screen to peer at us as we walked into the lobby.

"Are you the three special clients Dr. Diana put aside for today?" Her voice was surprisingly even, almost wispy, in stark contrast to her fierce and wrinkled face.

"That we are." I said as Kuesu and Anjelica also voiced their assent.

The old women, whose name-tag I could now see said "Chizuru", glanced between her computer and us one more time before gesturing to a side door. "Alright, go in one at time; she'll be in room 205. Two of you can wait here in the meantime."

At her words my two companions immediately took a step back toward the lobby's soft looking couch and sat down.

"As the one who was most supportive of this venture; I believe Yuto should go first." Kuesu said.

"It's the only logical decision." Anjelica concurred.

I felt like glaring, or at least grumbling at them, but I had been planning to go first anyways; which took some of the sting out of their teasing. So, after straightening the collar of my shirt, I opened the side door and stepped through without comment.

As I walked down the hallway, towards the stairs that would lead me to the right floor, I stewed in my thoughts for a bit. I never particularly thought I'd ever need therapy in my life. Sure; I'd been sad and reclusive for a while after my parents had died but it had never come close to something serious like depression or trauma. And after having my true nature revealed to me I'd suffered all manner of injuries that had caused great pain and recovered without much issue aside from some minor sourness.

So why was the fight with Shuten and Tama so different?

I came up short as I stopped in front of the door labeled "205" and knocking lightly, waiting for a response.

Of course, I knew why, I just had no frame of reference for how to deal with such a problem.

"Come in!" A feminine called from the other side.

With a steadying breath I pulled the door open and stepped in, unconsciously bracing myself as if this was going to be a fight.

What greeted me was the sight of a slim young woman with auburn hair tided into a braid who was currently sitting in a wooden arm chair behind a small desk, her coca colored skin contrasting nicely with her white blouse and brown business slacks.

"Please, have seat." Dr. Diana said, gesturing toward a comfier looking chair that faced her head on, her voice had an almost imperceptible European accent that I couldn't quite place.

I nodded my head and took my seat. "Uh, you're Dr. Diana?" I asked, not really knowing how to start things.

"Correct. I handle the psychiatry for this department's agents, helping them either overcome or deal with the mental illnesses, emotional trauma, and or abnormal behavior that can occur as a result of dealing with paranormal entities and forces."

I was left a little speechless for a moment, but I did feel the slight tension in me lessen a bit. "That was… surprisingly succinct." I said with a chuckle.

Dr. Diana smiled a bit then. "I read up on your, admittedly limited, files and decided that a direct approach would be best. And if I may be so bold, based on what I've been told about you and your colleagues; many of your previous problems have stemmed from a lack of honest communication."

"You've got that right." I breathed, relaxing into the cool leather of the chair that would look more at place in Kuesu's ampartment.

"Now I've been around long enough to know that reports don't even come close to covering everything, especially when they're as sparse as yours." Dr. Diana said. "And equally so when it comes to emotional perspective. So why don't we start with what you view as the beginning."

"On that point the reports you've read are probably correct; everything started during the final battle with Shuten and Tamamo-no-Mae. The fight was… intense and it lead to a lot of strife among my friends for a time. But I think what got to me the most was the chaos and what happened to Kuesu." I felt oddly calm as I explained things to her. The usual feelings of anxiety and sadness were bubbling up, true, but they were far more manageable now that I wasn't just running circles in my own head. "There's no real way to explain without basically revealing everything: I've been having nightmares, mostly about what happened to Kuesu and all the ways things could have ended far worse. So clear and almost accurate enough that they seem more like distorted memories than dreams."

"And this Kuesu, are you thinking about her right now?" Dr. Diana asked.

"Of course, I know for a fact things are hard for her too. And the worst thing is I can't seem to get a handle on any of it with all the new potential problems popping up." I say with an exasperated sigh. "I feel like I'm a little adrift, just jumping from problem to problem without slowing down."

Dr. Diana nodded her head, jotting down a few notes on a clipboard I only just noticed. "I've seen many Agents have this problem as well, especially during their busier years and after either a failed or barely 'passed' mission." She'd put an emphasis on the word that clearly implied that said successful missions had come with a cost. Before we can try tackling any of your individual troubles I believe helping you compartmentalize is key." She reached under the desk and pulled out a small, slim tome with a cover of dull leather and tied closed with length of string. "Your first homework for our meetings will be to keep a journal detailing recent events that you feel are important."

 

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Journal Entry 5.1

"The meeting is about to start."

I stopped writing in my leather-bound journal, snapping it closed before standing up and tucking my pen into my chest pocket. "Already?"

Kuesu put a hand on her hip and huffed. "It's been half an hour, you've just been absorbed in that journal of yours." She leaned forward a bit before saying. "Which you still refuse to share with me."

"Dr. Diana gave me my methods of coping and she gave you yours." I said before tucking the small journal into the inside of my coat, sliding it into a concealed pocket. "And I don't exactly see you offering up your own." I finished as I felt the wards on the pocket snap into place.

She pouted but didn't offer up any further objections, only pausing to give me a light elbow. I sighed and wrapped an arm around her for a brief hug and kiss on the cheek that made her blush more than any full-on-the-mouth kiss could have before addressing everyone else waiting in the lobby. "You all ready?"

Amare, Lilinora, Sorina, Anjelica, and Sophie replied in creepy unison. "Yes, Amakawa." Before following us as we lead them out of the lobby and down one of the long hallways leading further into the base. Shido and Maki stepped seemingly out of nowhere and flanked the small group from both sides, their expressions neutral instead of their typical frowns. It'd been a week since our visit with Dr. Diana and they'd all been a flurry of activity trying to prepare for the other Demon Slayer's arrival, with the exception of Anjelica who'd been lazing around on account of having finished all the paperwork early.

The walk was mercifully short as we were escorted to a room different from the one I'd been invited to the first time I came here. Shido and Maki stop us in front of a sturdy looking, wooden double door that practically hummed with all of the wards in place. They stepped forward, each grabbing one handle, and pulled it open to reveal what could best be described as the love child between a modern meeting room and traditional Japanese décor; a stark contrast to the more relaxed setting I was used to.

There were sixteen seats and all of the individual clan leaders were sitting at the front half of the table; Aiji stoically sat in a black suit next to Kasuri and Hisuzu who wore their traditional miko atire, Meruhi was glaring at a grinning Hitsugi, and Shido and Maki took their own seats after letting us into the room and closing the door behind us.

The most eye-catching thing of all though was the imposing figure that sat at the head of the table; "Kei Tsuchimikado", Aiji's father and the number one head of all the Demon Slayer clans. Taller than Aiji, but with a definite slouch, he had long dark hair that framed the sharp features of his face that were made even more grave by his intense gaze.

"Welcome." Kei said, his voice sounding surprisingly young, more the deep baritone of a fifty-year-old rather than the extremely fit seventy he seemed to be. "I apologize for how long this has needed to be made, relations in America became… complicated for a time."

"It's quite alright, Mr. Tsuchimikado." Amare said as she slid into the chair directly opposite Kei, the rest of her group taking seats on the opposite half of the table while Kuesu and I took our seats near the other demon slayers. "It is completely understandable for your organization to be curious about the sudden change our group brought upon America."

"Can we skip the pleasantries? We already have a general idea of what your kind… indulges in." Meruhi cut in.

"I agree, why don't we skip to what they have to offer us?" Kasuri said, Hisuzu looking like she was about to agree with the sentiment.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Aiji cautioned. "I know you two have your misgivings about even talking with these Mamono but that is no reason to spark unnecessary hostility."

"My son is right, pleasantries can reveal much about an individual's character." Kei said.

"Quite right." Amare agreed, Sorina letting off an approving hum to her right.

Meruhi, Kasuri, and Hisuzu looked nonplussed but cowed for now. I looked over at Hitsugi for her reaction but she just smiled and gave me a small wave with her usual manic expression.

"Now then; we got a little que from our allies, but would you care to explain?"

Amare then went over everything she'd already told me and my friends but this time more detail was given to the exact mechanics of the Mamono transformation. "Our kind has never converted a Yoaki before, or any supernatural this far east as of yet. So, any of them that join our ranks here are almost guaranteed to have their natural forms change along with a change in ability; not necessarily more powerful, just different."

"So long as you immediately notify us any potential dangerous developments then things should be fine." Kei glanced over at his fellow Demon Slayers then. "Are there any particular benefits we might see?"

"Once we get a proper foothold the local Yokai will be far less aggressive, supernatural activity in general should stagnate, which mean no more sudden rises in the amount of rouges like your newest member had to deal with." Amare said, gesturing towards me. "We will actively work with and follow any explicit orders you give us, even including helping you enforce your own rule. And finally; we will tell you the specific rituals and spells required to reverse the affects of our infection. It cannot reverse someone that has been fully turned, not unless someone like Kuesu gets involved, but even a novice should be able to nullify any progress."

Kei leaned back with a whistle, his eyebrows rising a few ticks. "That's quite generous of you."

"And you will allow us to safely test such spells to verify their authenticity?" Meruhi asked, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"Of course. In fact; your daughter has already displayed the skill and ability to do so with the young Amakawa." Amare said.

At her words several things happened at once; Meruhi glared at me, Hisuzu scrunched her nose in disgust, Kasuri just looked exasperated, while Hitsugi outright cackled. I could feel my cheeks flush red just a bit while Kuesu merely rolled her eyes at their reactions.

"I'm just surprised your little infection can be so easily undone." Hitsugi said after catching her breath, crazy eyes watering a bit from the intensity of her mirth.

"I have faith in the power of our Lord but even with the assistance of my kind and the Lilims the magic that she used to allow this radical change is far from incomprehensible or all powerful."

Kei nodded at that. "On that point; tell us more about your lord and her daughters."

The meeting drifted by in a blur of minutia then and so did my attention after a ten minute explanation about the supposed metaphysical nature of the Lilim by Amare. Even I, novice in diplomacy that I was, could tell what decision Kei and the rest of the Demon Slayers would make.

Another hour of polite niceties, arcane explanations, some legalese from Anjelica, and both Mehuri and Kuesu rigorously going over all the magical contracts Anjelica had with her passed before the conclusion of this blissfully peaceful negotiation arrived.

Kei and Amare both nodded their heads towards Anjelica and she selected one of her bigger contracts, another one of the magical kind.

"Something to make sure we both keep our word." Amare said. Kuesu, and a reluctant Mehuri, having verified her claims.

With a confident flourish looked over the contract made in a strange language with apparent understanding before whipping out a pen and singing along the dotted line at the bottom.

The movement was nigh-imperceptible, and I'm pretty sure I would have missed it entirely if I hadn't happened to be looking directly at her at the time, but I saw Amare shiver and her eyes turn a darker shade of red, near black.

It was for just an instant but when our eyes meet again I could tell she knew I'd seen.