Tsuru tried to repress a sigh as she tugged Krystal along. "You know... you don't have
to be so stubborn." Hoshi, Tsuki and Hina were ahead of them, disarming seals and traps.
"You must stop this," Krystal huffed out, trying to pull her hand out of Tsuru's
grasp. "Is this what you really want? To destroy the world?"
"Destroy? This isn't destroying... I'm just going to change everything. I have the
power to do it - to make a new world and do away with everything else. We won't have to deal
with bureaucracies or corporations. Instead, I will rebuild everything with fairness in
mind. Everyone will be treated not based on equality or privilege, but on how hard they work
and how good they are."
Tsuru could tell Krystal though she was crazy, but she continued on. "And I want you
to be by my side for all of it."
The blonde turned away. "You already know how I feel about that."
The Demon Lord let out that sigh she'd been holding. "I don't understand why you're so
attached to Isaka anyway... You and I both know it's because she was the one that took your
virginity."
Krystal blushed. "What? That's not... what does that have to do with it?"
Tsuru gave her a sad smile. "Well, I was the exact same way. It's hard to leave the
person that you first experience that with. It makes it all the more special to know that
they were your first and it makes you grow attached. She's the only one you've ever been
with so... it's just hard to move one." She gave Krystal a knowing look. "Not to mention all
your friends... just imagine how breaking up with Isaka would disrupt all that..."
"That's not why we're together," Krystal said. "Stop it - all you're trying to do is
make me doubt my love for her-"
"I don't doubt you love her, maybe even pity her. I just doubt how deep that love is."
Tsuru stopped to face Krystal. "You and I both know that... maybe she's just not perfect for
you."
With that, the Lord of Demons continued walking down the corridor, having planted the
seed of doubt in her Bride. Krystal put up less force as she was pulled with Tsuru. She
didn't want to think about everything she had said, but...
She could feel an unfamiliar pressure build up deep within her... something like
darkness that wanted to take her over. It was beckoning to her, but Krystal just focused on
her holy power. It was starting to come back, just a little bit... but without her sword or
her full power, there was no way she was going to be able to escape.
Krystal suddenly buckled at an outside force, causing Tsuru to catch her. She grinned
as she held the exorcist in her arms. "You can feel it, can't you? Another portion of my
power lies in that room." She motioned over to the huge double doors that Hina and Tsuki had
just opened. Hoshi was standing to the side, a smile dancing along her face.
Tsuru eagerly walked through the doorway, Krystal leaning on her heavily. By the time
they made it to the pedestal in the center of the room, the blonde had collapsed. Tsuru let
her sit and rest as she looked at the sword stuck into the ground. It was tied there by
rope, different symbols written on its rusty blade with crumbling ink.
"Don't fight it so much," Tsuru murmured, looking at the blade in awe. Tsuki, Hina and
Hoshi had walked into the room after them, patiently standing by. "It feels good if you let
it in."
Krystal was taking labored breaths as the empty feeling inside of her grew. "No... no
thank you..." she whispered. "I'm fine the way I am."
Tsuru kneeled down next to her, putting a hand on Krystal's shoulder. "No, you're
beautiful the way you are." She cupped Krystal's cheek and leaned in.
The kiss was too sudden and too nice for the exorcist to resist. Krystal couldn't keep
back a moan and Tsuru must have heard because she got a little more aggressive. It seemed
her body moved on its own accord, disregarding the blonde's confused mind. The feeling was
back full force, but it was something that Krystal knew shouldn't have existed... what about
Isaka?
Tsuru pulled away from her lips to suckle on her neck instead. "Wh... what did you do
to me?" Krystal asked, trying to resist the pleasure.
The Demon Lord paused to look into her eyes. "You are my Bride Krystal - you can't
resist it."
"What did you do to me?" Krystal repeated, breaking out of her haze.
"I just made it so you would find me all the more desirable," Tsuru said, leaning in
again. Krystal desperately tried to push her away, but tears stung at her eyes. It was
hopeless - she was going to fall in love with a woman that was no longer Tsuru due to some
kind of dark magic.
"Hold up a second!" The three sisters snapped to attention at the figure coming
through the doorway. Tsuru pulled away from Krystal with a frown on her face. Isaka grinned
and cracked her knuckles. "I'm here to rescue my girlfriend."
Krystal immediately perked up and shook off the dark feeling. "Isaka!"
Tsuru let out a slight groan. "Really? Isaka, if you were smart, you would have just
snuck in here, not announce yourself at the door."
Hoshi readied her staff. "Master, we can take care of her for you."
"No," Tsuru said, getting up. "I'll do it myself. She apparently didn't learn from
last time."
Krystal tried to run to Isaka, but Tsuki and Hina grabbed her before she could even
get close to the demon. Hoshi sighed and walked towards the blonde as Tsuru herself went to
Isaka.
"Here's the deal, Lord of Demons," Isaka said with a grin. "You just let Krystal go
and I think we won't have anymore problems for a little while."
Tsuru frowned. "You already know the answer to it, so why are you even asking?" Dark
energy began to build up around her, but Isaka kept smiling even though she was scared to
death.
"I didn't come here just for that, but also to talk to you about something..." Until
then, Tsuru hadn't noticed what Isaka brought with her. The demon awkwardly unsheathed both
swords, happy that she had inhuman strength to hold them. "Don't you remember why you held
these swords?"
"Because I was a fool and I thought I was an avenger... It was just something I got
attached to," Tsuru said simply.
"But look at you now! You never wanted to become me, but you have, haven't you? You've
walked my footsteps exactly... After I had been exiled from my village and marked as a
sinner, no one would help me. I allowed myself to be consumed by power so I could get
whatever I wanted and never be hurt again..." Isaka trailed off as she looked over at
Krystal. "But I forgot all about that and got caught up with everything that power offered.
Then... I learned that I need to stop playing a role and stop letting the power become me."
Tsuru just scoffed at her. "You came all the way here to give me a sentimental speech?
I'm not you - we've already established that. And I haven't been consumed by power... I'm in
complete control of myself." She sent a shock of dark energy right at Isaka who merely
slashed at it with the katana.
"I don't really want to fight you, but..." Isaka trailed off and lifted up the swords.
This was going to be hard, but she surely couldn't go at Tsuru hand to hand.
"Isaka, please, you need to run! Tsuru still has my power," Krystal shouted out before
she was muffled by Tsuki's hand.
Isaka let out a slight grimace. "I know... I know... I can't just let you force
Krystal into loving you. It would be alright if she left me on her own accord, but for you
to..." She let out a sigh and went at her friend.
Tsuru easily dodged the attack and merely moved to the side when Isaka swung the blue
blade at her. "These swords are too much for you," she said.
Isaka smiled. "Yeah, but they're special... they belonged to you when you were still
human."
With that, Tsuru was caught off guard when Isaka threw the blue blade at her. "What
are you-?" She watched it crash into the ground and was surprised when the demon came at her
with the one katana.
"I'm not too great with dual wielding!" Isaka said, having nicked Tsuru in the
shoulder. The Demon Lord growled at her and a maelstrom of light energy swirled around her.
Isaka barely stepped back in time to avoid the blast.
"Last time, you only one because you caught me off guard," Isaka said. "This time, I
know exactly what you can and can't do."
Tsuru frowned, but said nothing. It shouldn't be that hard to beat Isaka again.
"Heaven Art: Divine Punishment!" The Demon Lord watched Isaka get engulfed by white light as
more lances of holy energy pierced at the explosion.
She let out a sigh of relief until she felt a sharp pain in her back. Tsuru
immediately whirled around and backed away, blood dripping on the floor.
"Nice try," Isaka said, the katana bloody. "I'm not that much of an idiot. That Heaven
Art is a bit slow so someone as fast as me can easily avoid it."
Isaka charged at her, bringing the weapon down for an attack. Tsuru dodged and
deflected it with dark energy until she was right next to Hoshi. "Master, please, together
the three of us can destroy her-"
"No, no," Tsuru breathed out, the cut in her back burning. "I can take care of her..."
She let a grin grace her face as she turned to the sword on the pedestal. Isaka immediately
understood what was about to happen and raced to stop her.
Tsuru grabbed the handle of it and pulled it out of the ground. At that moment, the
rusty sword became engulfed in dark energy, its blade now a dark shade of purple and an ogre
skull decorating its hilt. Krystal tried to struggle out of Tsuki grasp to tell Isaka to run
far, far away because the power coming from the blade was too much.
Isaka took a deep breath as Tsuru lifted the huge sword up confidently. What would
normally be a two handed sword for anyone else was just a one handed blade for Tsuru. She
pointed it directly at Isaka, power flowing through her. "I think this makes us much more
equal now."
The Demon Lord started to walk towards her when she noticed the light blue holy
discarded on the ground. With a grin, Tsuru pierced it with her new sword, watching it
shatter like glass.
"Tsuru... you just," Isaka said, surprised. "That was your uncle's sword..."
"I don't need it anymore, nor do I need the katana your holding. I'm the Demon Lord,
Isaka, and nothing you can do will be enough."
Isaka knew she was right, but she had to at least figure out a way to try and rescue
Krystal. She channeled as much dark energy as she could into the katana, hoping it would be
enough to at least counteract a strike from Tsuru. Isaka watched as the other woman swung
the blade down.
In her mind, the demon made a perfect parry... except... the katana shattered, leaving
her only with the handle... Isaka jumped away, avoiding getting hurt, but now she had no way
to defend herself.
Tsuru smirked. "See? I don't need any of those silly weapons... Isaka, I believe it's
time for you to disappear... the only reason I let you live is because Krystal would be
upset."
Isaka frowned. "Oh, how kind of you..." She could only watch as Tsuru swung at her,
the blade coming too fast for her to avoid.
"Wait a second," came a calm, smooth voice. Tsuru's eyes widened as her blow was
stopped by that of a pure white, ethereal spear. Isaka herself was quite shocked, unaware
that someone had come to save her.
The man pushed Tsuru away with his holy power before straightening up. Tsuru frowned,
but turned back to her servants. "We're leaving - I already got what I needed."
Isaka looked over to see Krystal disappear with the sisters in a flash of bright
white. Tsuru turned back to them. "I don't know who you are," she said, referring to the
man, "but you'd best stay out of this." With that, she disappeared into the shadows.
"Uh..." the demon started. "Who the hell are you?"
The man turned around to face her. He looked a bit silly wearing jeans and a red
t-shirt with his holy spear. He had spiky, nicely styled blonde hair and blue eyes which
Isaka found rather familiar. "My name's Josh... uh, Seth called me about the Demon Lord?"
"Oh... oh! Yeah, I kind of left when he had gotten off the phone with you... aren't
you supposed to guard this place?"
He shrugged. "Eh, kind of. It was inevitable she'd get the sword, especially with
three exorcists there to help her..." He let out a sigh. "Shoot, I knew I should have
hurried up... if I had come earlier we probably would have been able to rescue Krystal..."
As he continued with his musings, Isaka started to pick up the remains of the broken
swords. "Hey, Josh, do you have a bag?"
The young man looked at the knapsack on his back. "Uh, yes I do. Way to notice." He
got a glare for that.
"Well don't just stand there, help me pick up this mess!"
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