"He gave you a speech, didn't he?" Tsuru nodded, quietly eating breakfast. Only her
and Ark were awake - Bakra was still tired and Mara just wanted more time to sleep.
"He can't help it, I guess. Exorcists aren't exactly known for their mercy and
understanding."
That's what had been bothering her the whole time. She'd never been on a real exorcist
mission and she had only faced down evil demons that tried to devour people. Isaka was...
well, she was the only humanoid demon she'd seen.
She set down her breakfast, a growing sense of unease building inside of her. "Ark...
how did you meet Bakra?"
The young man brightened up. "Well, I guess it started with me traveling with Mara. We
didn't have anywhere to go, so we'd been traveling. Mara came upon an injured Bakra while I
was taking a nap and... I guess it just went from there. I used to think demons were just
nasty things that attacked and bothered humans." He let out a sigh. "It's nothing like that
at all... there is the good in the bad, whether you're human or not."
Tsuru looked at him. "Tell me... tell me, what do exorcists really do?"
Ark gave her a sad smile. "I saw it happen once. Bakra wanted to find a place for us
to settle down and we'd heard rumors about a demon village. By the time we arrived,
exorcists had proceeded to build all the buildings and kill most of the residents. Bakra was
able to save a good amount of people, but... so many were still trapped in their houses and
burned to death."
He saw Tsuru's downcast look and tried to mitigate the damage. "But it's okay, Tsuru!
You're obviously not like that - you don't lump all demons together..."
The ebony haired girl was silent for the rest of the meal.
*****
"I don't think I can give up on revenge."
Bakra looked up at Tsuru as he handed her the two swords that were previously taken
away.
"...you're a fool. Didn't I tell you before? What if I went on a rampage against the
exorcists that killed my family? Where would that get us?"
Tsuru gave him a sad smile. "I know. But I have to find out the truth and... it's my
goal. It's what keeps me working. Maybe I will never achieve it, but I won't stop fighting."
Bakra gave her a small smile. "So you're leaving then? Off to find that demon?"
Tsuru nodded and he sighed. She'd already said goodbye to Ark and Mara... She started
to walk away, until he stopped her.
"Wait, tell me. Who are you after?"
Tsuru bit her lip nervously. "It's a woman with purple eyes - her name's Isaka."
Bakra's eyes widened. "Tsuru - that is not someone you want to go after." He walked
towards her. "Actually, that is someone I can't let you go after."
She took a step back. "You know her? Where is she? I know I'm not strong enough, but I
must-"
"You can't! You don't know a thing about her, do you? She's... she started this place,
she started so many things. When demons were being killed and discriminated, she was the one
that built us safe places. Isaka made it so that we had a place to live and we could love
whoever the hell we wanted," Bakra said, growing angry. "You can't possibly want to kill
her."
"But she... she killed them all! She massacred every single one of them! Isaka didn't
have to kill my entire clan, but she did! She did!"
There was a bit of silence until Bakra gave her a pitying look. "Isaka was the one
that saved Ark and Mara when we ran into exorcists a few years or so back in another
settlement... maybe she did murder your kin, but... When will it stop, Tsuru? What happens
after you get revenge?"
She said nothing and instead turned around to leave the village.
*****
Isaka was a hero among demons... a hero... Tsuru gritted her teeth, utterly
distraught. She'd believed in such a strong concept for the last six years and now... now
some demon was trying to tell her otherwise?! That couldn't be right - that woman was no
saint, no savior. Maybe in the eyes of demons, but she had murdered so many... yet...
Tsuru knew the truth, but she didn't want to accept it... that maybe this wasn't all
how it appeared to be. She looked back at the village she left, biting her lip. Bakra was
still standing by the exit, watching her retreating back. What if... what if...
The demon had a visible look of surprise on his face as the 18 year old started
running back to him. "Bakra! Bakra! You said..." she panted, arriving in front of him. "You
said she saved you guys a few years back, but... about... about six or seven years ago, did
anything happen?"
The man looked kind of irked. "...well, there was a lot more activity and demon
massacres down in the south. Demons had experimentally started to come out of hiding and
socialize with humans. That failed when the exorcists wiped them off the map, thus leading
to us hiding out in different places."
Tsuru's lip trembled. "...really...? They were killing your people...?" He gave her a
solemn nod.
"I lost my family in one of those massacres..." Tsuru nodded and started to cry,
clutching on his shirt. He was too shocked to do anything.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I never... If I had... If I knew what they'd been doing-!"
*****
Tsuru had long wiped her tears and long said good-bye to Bakra. He didn't need an
explanation, because he had known all along... Her clan used to go out and get rid of
demons. Exterminate them. That's how they liked to put it - as though they were rodents and
needed to be wiped out.
She resolved herself to head back home, back down to the south where she was from. She
needed to see what had happened, all the things she'd been eager to do when she was young.
Tsuru had been trained to kill demons, but she...
She always thought they were killing evil monsters, like giant dragons and snakes that
ate people, or winged monstrosity and even small spirits that plagued the innocent... not
actual people.
*****
Her old home was almost the same, but falling apart. No one wanted the old exorcist
building because of the murders... yet she was the owner. It held all their documents,
weapons, archives. Tsuru went inside and found what she wanted - the last documented mission
to an old demon settlement.
As she left, she locked up the building and said a little prayer. She was too ashamed
to go to the graves in the backyard.
*****
"Olivia." Tsuru perked up at the sound of a voice. She'd been walking through the
burned down settlement before coming across ramshackle graves, desperately dug.
"Her name was Olivia," the voice repeated. Tsuru turned to find Isaka leisurely
walking behind her.
"She was... really such a sweet girl. Everyone here was. They were so optimistic and
so ready to work that... well I never thought anything would go wrong," Isaka murmured,
leaning against a burnt out shell of a house.
"Olivia was very pretty and we... we were supposed to go out to the lake that night.
Too bad though. I guess your little clan decided they wanted to kill everyone instead,"
Isaka frowned and continued to walk towards her. "You know - they had no mercy, not even on
Olivia because she was a demon. She cried and she begged and she pleaded. Yet, your little
friends decided that monsters could only pretend... that monsters don't have feelings and
deserve to die like the animals they are."
Tsuru looked away and Isaka gave her a pained smile. "You weren't there, so you didn't
know. That's why you're the only one left - because you didn't do anything wrong except be
there that night, Tsuru."
The ebony haired girl couldn't take it anymore. "What do you want from me?!"
Isaka shrugged. "Ah, just your acknowledgement of the truth is satisfying, though..."
She trailed off and gave her a suggestive look.
"How... how dare you do this to me! What do you expect? Do you - do you really think
that once I figured out they were murderers that I would forgive you? You didn't have to
kill them ,but you did!"
All she got was another shrug. "True. It was very satisfying to punish them and...
well, the attacks stopped, didn’t they?"
Tsuru gritted her teeth. "So now what? Do you think I'm just going to run into your
arms and forgive you?"
Isaka gave her a small smile. "Really, Tsuru, why else do you think I've been
following you? It started because it felt like I owed you for taking away everything, but...
you are very interesting and I must admit that I do like you. I'd very much enjoy your
company-"
"Well, screw your company!" Isaka's smile faltered. "I'm not a little pet... and I am
not going to be your 'pretty little Tsuru' or a whore for you - ever. Never, ever, ever!"
Tsuru shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Isaka took a step forward with a sigh. "Tsuru. You can't really say all that. Your
life is mine and I think I have every right to do what I please with you."
Tsuru drew her swords. "No... no you don't. Maybe you did have every reason to kill
them and they were heartless murderers... I know that's the truth, but - but it doesn't
change how I feel about you!"
The exorcist was nearly disarmed by Isaka's attack, the demon clearly trying to
physically overpower her. She slashed at the purple eyed woman, hitting nothing but the air.
The demon had to avoid a swipe of her katana and backed away.
"You've gotten much better," Isaka murmured. "Stop being like this Tsuru. I would love
to offer you great things-"
She was cut off by the girl's attack and had to dodge again. Tsuru was getting quite
good, even if she was currently blinded by anger and tears. Isaka decided that this couldn't
go on for much longer and succeeded in ducking an attack before knocking the wind out of
Tsuru.
The young exorcist found herself on the ground, staring up at the sky. Isaka made sure
her weapons were no where nearby before descending on the young girl.
"I'm not going to let you do this to yourself," the demon said. "You can let yourself
give in to this silly notion of revenge or-"
"I'd rather give in to revenge than you," Tsuru whispered, avoiding those purple eyes.
"Such a child, but..." Isaka leaned in closer. "Such a pretty, beautiful child."
Tsuru squeezed her eyes shut in absolute agony and Isaka hesitated. Maybe this wasn't
the best thing to do...?
"Seventh Seal: Cruxis Circle!" By the time Isaka realized Tsuru was executing a high
level move, it was too late. The demon felt herself get constrained and then came the
inevitable surge of holy power. She was blasted away, before slamming into a charred, burned
down house.
Tsuru scrambled to her feet, retrieving her weapons... her mementos. The ebony haired
girl ran and ran, so much so that when Isaka finally got on her feet, she had no clue where
to look for the young girl.
*****
Isaka suddenly felt very uncomfortable. Honestly, she had a super crush on Tsuru when
the girl was younger, but then... well, stuff happened and she was with Krystal now and
everything was good, yet...
The blonde was giving her a very dubious look. Tsuru herself was even getting
uncomfortable.
"Did you two... did you ever actually do anything?" Krystal's question hung in the
air.
"...unfortunately..." Tsuru squeaked out, tears pricking at her eyes. That was a bad
memory within and of itself.
"Krystal - please! I know what you're thinking, but I love you and nothing will ever
change that-" The demon was interrupted when she heard Tsuru scoff.
"Yeah right - you'll probably just throw Krystal out when you get tired of her!" Tsuru
said, getting up from the couch.
Isaka stood up as well. "Like you know anything! I never told you that I loved you and
what happened was under totally different circumstances!"
"Of course it was! You took advantage of me... you took advantage of me whenever I was
vulnerable and when I needed a friend, you played the part just so you could get laid!"
"That's a load of crap, you little - what? Are you mad that I dumped you? Are you
jealous of what I have with Krystal?!"
Tsuru turned away, furious at the demon. That wasn't her problem - not at all. She was
jealous, but she was jealous because such a wonderful girl was dating such a... Tsuru
couldn't even think of a word to encompass her dislike for Isaka.
The argument would have continued if Krystal hadn't gotten off of the couch. The two
other girls turned, watching the blonde head towards the door.
"K-Krystal, wait a second," Isaka said heading over to her. "Let's talk about this-"
"I think you two need to talk and I..." Krystal murmured. "I think I need to go
somewhere to think this through."
Then she was out the door and Tsuru felt a little bit guilty. She didn't mean to cause
such a problem, yet... deep inside, a part of her was happy to see that crestfallen look on
Isaka's face and to know that maybe... just maybe! She might have a chance with Krystal.
"You... are you happy now, Tsuru? You just pissed off the person I love."
Tsuru looked down. "You don't deserve a girl like her, anyway."
Isaka was livid. "Don't deserve her. Listen here, Tsuru - I've always tried to be kind
to you since we've been through so much, but..." She gritted her teeth. "You'd better not be
expecting me and you to hook up again-"
"Why the hell would I want you?!" Tsuru said, cutting her off. "I don't like you at
all and yet you get to have Krystal, who's so... so-"
She cut herself off, seeing Isaka's look of realization.
"You little-" The demon grabbed her by her collar. "Is that what you wanted to do?
Tell her all that so we would break up and you could get her?! I see through your little
plot and there's no way I'm giving her up. She's mine and I love her more than anything!"
Tsuru broke out of her grasp. "Yeah? Well, everything I said was true and you know it.
If she hates you because of your past then that's your own damn fault, not mine!"
Isaka shut her eyes and sat down on the couch. After a few minutes, Tsuru sat down
next to her. "Ahhh...! What am I going to do...?" Isaka murmured.
Tsuru had no advice for her.
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