Chapter V: Secrets of the Elderly

The glaring light from the LEDs on the roof forced Akuma to wake up from his slumber. His sclera was fully reddened, and the frown on his face would've made people think of him more of a demon than a human.

'Must've forgotten to turn the lights off before crashing into the bed,' he thought as the other half of his mind struggled to get awake.

Looking at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to his bed, it read 7:30 A.M.

"Fucking hell, must've slept through grandma's wake up call. Well, I'm not in the mood to go to school," he muttered.

He rose up from his bed slowly and came to the realization that he had slept in his uniform the night before. A single sniff was enough for him to determine that he couldn't wear these clothes outside if he didn't to be charged with homicide by chemical attack.

Thus, he stood up from his bed and walked towards his personal bathroom while shedding off layers of clothes one after the other until he was standing butt naked in the shower without bothering to close the bathroom door.

After turning a few nobs, a jet of steaming water fell onto his body.

'Feels nice,' he enjoyed the sensation of his muscles relaxing under the hot shower. As his mind fully woke up, the events from a few hours ago resurfaced in his mind. It was a surreal experience if there ever was one: him being a victim of the latest Mato Disaster, fighting against Shuuki, being held on a blade's edge by an MDF unit chief, being turned into some sort of slave by said unit chief, and being offered to join the MDF.

His hand unconsciously went to his neck where the metallic choker from his transformation previously was. It was a weird feeling being in control of a body that was both yours and wasn't in equal measure.

'Some of those Mato blessing sure are freaky,' he snickered as he remembered the 'reward' he was given for aiding his 'master'.

As he recalled that memory, another part of him began to awaken and stand at attention.

Akuma stared down at Akuma Jr. for a few moments before letting out an exasperated sigh.

'I swear that it seems to have a mind of its own sometimes,' the veiny, engorged member twitched in response, 'damn, when was the last time I jacked off?'

He tried to remember but came short. He had been busy the last couple of months with work and school stuff to have some alone time. He contemplated momentarily whether to do a quickie now before shaking his head. It won't kill him not to jack off; plus, he wanted to get out of shower quickly to check up on his grandma. She must've been worried that he came back late last night.

After turning a few nobs, the steaming hot stream turned ice cold in an attempt to forcefully repress the goliath betwixt his legs. However, it refused to be defeated by mere cold water and valiantly stayed upright pointing towards the heavens in defiance.

Ignoring the antics of his ding-dong, Akuma began the 10-minute process of washing the dust, grim, and sweat off himself before exiting the shower. He grabbed a towel from the nearby stand and began drying his dripping crimson hair.

"Now let's -" the words died halfway out of his mouth as he saw someone who shouldn't have been there. He rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was not hallucinating; then, he pinched himself in case it was one of those strangely vivid dreams people talk about. Yet, it was neither.

He was fully awake, and the person he was seeing was no hallucination. Sitting on a chair in the corner of his room was a very familiar silver haired girl wearing an MDF uniform sans her hat; her pale face had red dusting on it as he pink irises that surround her slitted pupil were looking downwards.

It was then that Akuma became aware that he was walking around with his dick still at full alert.

Akuma currently had three choices on how to handle the situation: First, he could act like a little girl and freak the hell out. Second, he could cover himself up and question what Kyouka was doing in his room. Or third, pretend like he didn't see her and continue as if nothing happened.

For his mental health, he chose the third option.

Erasing the presence of Kyouka Uzen from his consciousness, Akuma moved towards the closet and threw on some clothes. He was feeling minimalistic today, so black slacks and a white T-shirt would do the job.

He could feel the gaze of she-who-shall-not-be-named burning a hole through him. With his clothes worn and his mentality somewhat stabilized, the yellowed eyed teenager sat on his bed and turned towards the guest in his room.

"Chief Kyouka," he said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster in the situation he was in, "I'm sorry for keeping you at the door, I had to freshen up for the day, you see."

Kyouka's head turned a shade redder as she turned it to the side and let out a fake cough into her closed fist.

'At least she has the decency to look embarrassed.'

Akuma could continue attacking her and cause her to be more ashamed but that would've served no purpose other than make whatever kind of relationship they had more strained.

Thus, the 6'5 male let out a sigh, "Look, I'm not going to grill you on how and why you are sitting in my room but I sure hope that you have some compelling reason for doing it."

Kyouka's usual serious expression returned and she opened her mouth to answer before being interrupted by the sound of the door opening and the shuffling of feet on the floor.

"You're going to be joining the Mato Defense Force, Akuma-kun," the new arrival said with certainty. The youth thought their voice was familiar.

Both him and the silver haired unit chief turned to see an old woman standing at the other side of his room with a cane in her hand and a shawl around her shoulders.

"G-Grandma, what do you mean?"

"Are deaf boy? Or did traipsing in Mato make you as dumb as its resident Shuuki?" she reprimanded him with a stern expression which softened when she looked at Kyouka next. "I hope my idiot grandson didn't cause you any problems, Kyouka-chan."

Strangely, Kyouka seemed to be stiffer and more on alert than usual.

'Maybe it's my imagination,' thought the shark-teethed male as he tried to wrap his head around what he had heard.

"But grandma-," he tried to protest that he couldn't just go and leave her while she was sick but got interrupted by her hitting the end of her cane at the floor causing a louder sound than it should.

"I want to hear no excuses, boy. Kyouka-chan already filled me in on the situation," she said solemnly, her voice containing a quality he didn't recognize, before her expression returned to the grandmotherly one he normally saw her wear.

"I am glad that Akuma-kun care so deeply for me that he would pass up a golden opportunity like this. However, I won't be able to look your grandfather in the face at the other side if I let myself become a hindrance for your future," at the mentioning of her husband, her eyes moistened before she wiped them away with her shawl.

Akuma was both moved and concerned by what his grandmother said.

She must've seen the expression he was making.

"I guess that it's time for me to come clean with some things."

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Kyouka's POV:

6:10 A.M.,

The chief of the 7th MDF unit exited the taxi she hired. The bluish haze of early morning covered the entire world as the sun was just starting to rise up and usher a new day.

The roar of the vehicle's engine echoed as she observed the building. It was a two story apartment complex that seemed to be in good condition despite the clear age of the structure. Who ever had been maintaining it have done a superb job.

"May I help you, young lady?"

It took all of her self-discipline not to jump at the sudden voice that emerged from behind her. Turning around, she saw a dimunitive form of an old woman who was holding a wooden cane in one hand while her other supported her arched back.

"Ah yes," she replied with a kindly tone so as not to appear rude towards the elderly speaker; moreover, if she happened to know something, it was in her best interest to build a friendly relationship, "I am in search of an individual named Fuzen Akuma."

For a brief moment she felt her blood chill as the old lady slightly opened her slitted eyes before it vanished just as fast as it came.

"Goodness me, I wonder what trouble my grandson caused for a member of the Mato Defense Force to be searching for him," she said with a glance at her uniform. Then, she passed by her, "Mind explaining the situation for me over a cup of tea?"

'So this is his grandmother,' the silver haired beauty thought as she observed the seemingly frail old woman walk with the aid of her cane before letting out a relieved mental sigh, 'I guess he wasn't lying about that.'

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you ma'am," Kyouka replied before following behind her towards one of the apartments numbered 101.

"It's no inconvenience dearie," said Akuma's grandma as she unlocked her apartment door, "tea is always better with company."

Entering the room, she saw a Kotatsu sitting in the middle of the room with two clean cups placed on it.

"Were you expecting someone?" she asked with a hint of suspicion in her tone as her eyes pointed at the cups on the table.

Hearing her question, the old lady let out a chuckle, "Unfortunate as it may seem, I didn't, in fact, anticipate your arrival. I usually eat breakfast with my grandson so I always have these cups prepared before going on my morning walk."

Kyouka's expression turned awkward, 'Why am I being so cautious? She just an old woman.'

"Now, would you like green or black tea?"

"Green is fine."

"Ah, I see that the youth still understand the superiority of green tea," said Akuma's grandmother with approval as she started brewing.

A few minutes later, they both sat comfortably on opposite sides of the kotatsu with a cup of steaming green tea in their hands.

"So...," suddenly Kyouka shivered as her danger sense blared and her instincts went to high alert. Immediately, several basketball sized fireballs surrounded her in all directions. She knew if she even moved a little funny, she would beburned to a crisp.

She looked infront of her at the formerly harmless old lady who now seemed to have the gates of hell opened behind her. Bright red flames raged behind her like a shackled dragon as the source of said flames simply smiled while sipping her tea.

"Do you mind telling me why a unit chief of the MDF is after my grandson, especially when he returned uncharacteristically late last night," asked Akuma's grandmother in a barbed tone.

Seeing no other choice, Kyouka began telling her of the sequence of events that led to her current situation - excluding the 'reward' given to Akuma as a consequence of her blessing. Throughout the retelling, the fire-wielding old lady continued sipping her tea while letting out hums of affirmation every once in a while.

After she finished, Kyouka saw that the other room resident had placed her tea cup down before letting out a sigh,"...That foolish grandson of mine."

As fast as they appeared, the fireballs around Kyouka disappeared and the woman before her returned to the frail and gentle old lady from before.

"Sorry about that Kyouka-chan," she apologized with a grandmotherly smile, "you can't never be too careful these days of who comes uninvited to your house, especially when the government is giving out power-granting peaches to girls like candy."

"N-No, I understand," she really didn't, but a part of her instinctively knew that going any deeper wouldn't do her good.

Out of nowhere, the pink-eyed unit chief saw the old woman enter a coughing fit before quickly holding a napkin to her mouth. When she removed the napkin, Kyouka could see the red tinge of blood on it.

"Are you alright ma'am?" the young woman asked in concern.

Akuma's grandmother let out a grim smile as she folded the napkin and tucked it away, "It's nothing to worry yourself over dear, just the consequences of the stupid decisions of my youth catching up to me. Anyways, I will allow for Akuma to join the MDF only on one condition."

The sickly old woman stared straight into Kyouka's eyes, "I want him to be an official member with full privileges and not some errand boy."

Hearing the condition, the silver haired girl's expression became difficult, "But the MDF doesn't allow for -"

"Don't recite the rules of the MDF for me girl," she said with mild irritation, "I was there when they were written."

Kyouka let what she heard marinate in her mind for a bit before her eyes widened at the implication.

"With me going with you, they will allow for a little exception for the rules," said she with a confident tone, "moreover, you've seen his physical capabilities. I admit that I don't know from where his superhuman physical capabilites originate from but I know that it would be a waste to waste his capabilites with the menial jobs given to males these days.

Now, be a dear and wake up lazy bones from his slumber. This is the spare key for his apartment."

Saying that, she gave Kyouka a key with a plate attached to it by a chain reading 103.

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Current time

Akuma's POV:

"That's why, go and wear something more appropriate, we're going to the MDF HQ," his grandmother ordered shortly after finishing her explanation.

"But grandma-" he tried to protest but was promptly shut up by a cane hitting him on the head.

"No excuses young man! Do you think of me that weak that I can't survive without the help of a kid fifth my age?"

He was going to answer yes, but the look she was giving him along with the ever present threat of her cane made a compelling argument.

"Fine, give me a minute," he sighed before moving towards his closet for a second time.

"Good, I still have some calls to make," she said before exiting the room leaving Akuma and Kyouka alone in the room.

"I'll... be waiting outside," he heard the silver haired unit chief say before hearing the sound of the room's door open and shut.

"Can this day get any weirder?" Akuma muttered under his breath as he started browsing through his, admittedly, limited options for something to wear to the MDF HQ.