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Asa refuses to touch Yoru because Yoru is not Daichi. She is not her partner. She isn’t even a daemon. She’s a devil in daemon form. She is a liar—an incarnation of human fear.
War that sits by her bedside.
“Relax,” she says, “I’m not going to hurt you. Not unless you cause any problems for me. Because then I will hurt you.” She flexes a claw, showing off deadly talons.
“I don’t care what you do; just bring Daichi back.” She’s sitting on her bed with her fists clenched tightly together. The pressure is grounding—a welcome distraction. She cannot look at the devil, and she cannot stand the stench of her clothes, which reek of gore. She’ll have to draw a bath and throw in a load.
There is a light cluck from behind. It reminds her of Bucky. “Impossible, girl. Your daemon is dead. I’ve claimed his dust as my own, and I will not bring him back.”
“Please,” Asa begs while turning her face away, “Don’t lie.” She just wants to see him again.
“I’m not.”
She makes no move to speak again, nor does she try to rise. She only sits there, unable to process the night or its events.
She had died. They had died, and by some cruel miracle, she had returned. But Daichi, her beloved deer daemon, had not.
Now a stranger shared her soul.
The imposter huffs. “Get over yourself; you stink. Remove your garments and bathe. Wallowing in grief and sadness will do nothing for your ‘dearly departed’ daemon.” But she says the last words with such cruelty Asa cannot help but wince.
She hears the fabric rustle behind her, and she quickly scuttles away. But the devil doesn’t stop there—she simply moves closer. She bullies Asa until she is forced to abandon the mattress. When she finally stands, her shepherd smiles, pleased. “At last: you rise.”
And knowing that she is cornered, tired, and scared, Asa relents. She strips and slips into the bath after putting her uniform to wash. She listens to the buzz of the bathroom fan and hopes it’s enough. Enough to distract her from the pain of losing Daichi. Enough to distract her from the newfound bond between her—and the thing waiting in the bedroom.
Asa watches Denji’s daemon from afar. She knew she should be closer to the two, with it being a date and all, but she’s honestly just uncomfortable. According to Yoru’s plans, they’re supposed to kill the pair later, so the entire situation felt awkward.
They were at the aquarium. Denji had chosen this location for their date and couldn’t be happier. From where she stood, she could see him. His golden eyes are bright, and his lips tilt up in a permanent smile. Beside him, his daemon’s tail wags while she circles the boy enthusiastically. They hadn’t even entered the building yet; and they were already so happy.
And we’re going to ruin that, Asa thought suddenly. Dread curdles in her stomach, and she feels her hands begin to sweat. She wants nothing more than to run.
“Let’s go say ‘hi,’” Yoru suggested before taking off ahead of her. Before the girl could stop it, she feels a pinch in her chest when the other gets far away.
“Wait!” Asa shouts. But the devil never listens to her. She never cares for Asa’s input or her distress, and Asa doesn’t know why she’s surprised when she doesn’t return. She is forced to follow and meets with Denji and his daemon at the entrance.
The day is sunny, and the weather is warm. It’s a good day for a date.
“Yo!” Denji greets with a leisurely smile. His back is slouched, and his hands are in his pockets. He looks less like a delinquent today. His black and white shirts go nicely together, and his blue jeans are big and baggy like all teenage boys’ are.
He looks normal.
Asa’s eyes linger on the boy’s teeth as he speaks, which are jagged and pointy. “This is Megumi,” he introduces. “She’s a Siberian husky!” And at the que, Asa greets the daemon formally by nodding at her. The dog returns the gesture, politely silent. Denji’s attention drifts back to both of them and he asks, “What’s your daemon’s name?”
“I’m Yoru,” the devil exclaims to Asa’s horror. Without thinking, she lightly kicks Yoru, knocking her over. She feels as if she’s been kicked herself, but she doesn’t jostle.
“Yoru! That’s rude!” She looks over to the opposing party and offers an apologetic smile. “She doesn’t usually do this,” Asa explains nervously.
But Denji isn’t looking at her—he’s looking at Yoru, who is bristling on the floor, furious. “Wow,” he says, stunned. She thinks he is amazed at the devil’s boldness and inappropriate behavior—for speaking so directly to him like that, but she’s wrong. “Your daemon’s a girl! Weird! Does that mean you like chicks?”
Oh, Asa thinks while she watches the boy’s eyes light up. He’s one of those guys. Her anger flares immediately, and she becomes defensive. “No! A daemon’s gender doesn’t mean anything! Don’t be such a child!” She storms off, leaving the three behind.
The bond tries to lead her back to Yoru, but she ignores it. She’s too busy with her rage to be bothered by the discomfort. Asa has told Yoru a million times before that there are rules she’s supposed to follow. Does she not realize she isn’t the war devil in this form? That she’s a daemon? Yoru refuses to learn daemon customs and proper etiquette. And she always picks fights with other daemons and speaks too casually to humans who aren’t her, as well! Asa just didn’t know what to do with Yoru!
The devil would probably even touch another person if it meant she gained something in the end.
“Let’s go!” Asa yells as she shakes the horrid thought from her head. The trio picks up their pace to keep up with her fast strides. Denji and Megumi trail behind while Yoru hops along after her, five feet away.
The bond pulls, and she knows that it’s still not enough.
Looking back on it, Asa realizes she should have savored those measly five feet. Because this? This is excruciating.
She could not breathe. She could not think. She could not move. Because every time she did, pain would burst in her chest like a bullet barreling through her ribcage. And all she could do was cry.
Famine trapped them here with the eternity devil. She had taken Yoru, too. And Asa hated her for that. She surprised herself by realizing she hated her even more than Yoru at that moment. Right after she took her away.
The others had been unaffected by the devil’s action. They still had their daemon and could only look on in horror as Asa continued the lay without her own. Wow. Was Yoru her daemon? She never used to think of her like that. She was only ever a devil wearing dust as a disguise, but now she knew she was wrong.
Yoru was her daemon, and she wanted her back—right now.
She never used to touch Yoru because of how much she hated her. But she would’ve given anything to run her fingers through her feathers, to feel her talons on her skin. She just needed the devil there.
Her soul couldn’t take it. She couldn’t lose another daemon.
Denji sat with her while the others looked for possible exits and consoled her when they found none. But Asa couldn’t decide if she was more touched or horrified when she saw the longing looking from Megumi. She wanted to comfort Asa—she knew—but the girl didn’t know if she could handle the touch of another’s daemon. It was so personal. Too … intimate. She just tried to appreciate the thought; and never said anything.
The only time Asa musters up the courage to stand up and walk is when she has the idea to buy the aquarium. She ropes both Denji and Megumi into her little scheme, and they steal money together. It’s the first time she feels actual joy while stuck in this place. She purchases the building and slays the eternity devil singlehandedly. Bonding with a devil gives her the ability to use her partner’s powers with ease, but she doesn't care about that right now. Once the devil is dead, all she wants to hear is—
“Asa!” Yoru slams into her, knocking the weapon out of her hand. The girl leaves it to better wrap her arms around the other. Her feathers are so soft, and Asa thinks she may cry. It’s like warmth returning after an icy plunge in a freezing lake.
“Yoru! Oh my god!” She presses the devil that is her daemon against her chest, unbothered by the sharp beak that digs into her neck. She just welcomes the pleasure that comes with the pain. The relief. She sinks onto her knees and cries, “Don’t ever leave me like that again! Don’t ever!”
Yoru responds by pressing herself more firmly against her. She hooks her talons around her arms; threatens to make her bleed. “I won’t! Girl, if you make me experience anything like that again, I’ll kill you!” She bites Asa’s shoulder out of anger, but she says nothing. She just continues to stroke Yoru’s black feathers, soothing both her and her daemon. Yoru’s black tail feathers wag appreciatively.
She doesn’t hear Denji approach at first, but when she does, she turns around to see him with a penguin in hand. Asa doesn’t question it, however. She’s too tired and grateful for that. He beams when he sees that Yoru has returned. “You got your bird back!” And Megumi’s tail wags happily at the sight.
“Yes.”
“I’m glad. It would suck to lose such a badass-looking daemon.”
“Right.” Asa doesn’t have the energy to scold him for his lack of sensitivity. She only cradles Yoru in her arms.
Denji’s face changes and his expression becomes confused. Behind him, sirens blare. Public Safety is about to show up. “Hey, Asa?”
“Yeah?”
“I never got to ask before.”
“What?”
He drops down into a crouch, meeting her at her level. “What type of bird is Yoru? I’ve never seen a daemon like that.”
“Oh,” Asa says with a light smile, “She’s a zone-tailed hawk.”
And after the questions and the first aid, the group is sent home. Denji and Megumi walk Asa back to the apartment, and she lets Yoru sit on her shoulder. The high and mighty war devil will never hop along the ground for anything now.