"The Demonic Ascension" (062)

("This makes me feel... disoriented... he stated something about a secret awakening... why does he want me to do that? After that day, I promised myself that I would never use it again.")

It was five years ago.

The daily school life continued to bring students into the classrooms, and when the bell rang, everyone exited, including Yui, who had her bag slung over her right arm.

"Have you got anything to do at home, Yui? If you don't, we'll go out and cause some havoc."

"... Trouble, hm? ... That's something you wouldn't be capable of! If someone insulted you, you'd immediately start sobbing!"

"... Hey, that's not the case... I may appear weak or delicate, but it will not deter me! I want to cause a ruckus!"

"Crap has already gone awry... reasonable... But no, I don't have anything at home, and I'd rather mess outside than stay in that filthy house."

"That's right... it's perfect! We can go around causing so much havoc that people won't be able to stop complaining!"

"All right, then, let's get rolling, aye?"

"For sure!"

Both of them were around their early teenage years, and there was a lot of mess they could cause and wouldn't be capable of getting into prison or something.

And with it, the first area that they wanted to mess, was the nearest ice cream station, where children just kept receiving ice cream for a very low price.

So, they snuck behind a tree, each behind a different tree, and had a grin, ready to trash some stuff. And just as Yui rose her thumb, both of them ran out from behind the tree and quickly stole the ice cream from the child's grip.

"Hey! That's mine! I bought it, hey, give it back, please!"

The young girl who had just squandered her money by not being able to acquire ice cream chased them down, and the ice cream maker yelled loudly.

"Hey! That isn't your stuff! Give it back to her because you didn't pay for it!"

"Hah! Screw you, it's now ours!" While Yui was laughing, the ice cream maker bolted from the door and chased them down. "Oh, no! We weren't expecting the adult to pursue us! Even better, we'll appreciate some pranking!"

Yui and her male companion both accelerated without saying anything else. "In the name of Zero, come to a halt! You're committing a heinous crime that you'll never forgive yourself for!"

"He calls it a sin, haha! You're the only one that makes sins! The ice cream making!"

"That's not the way you address your elders! Didn't your parents teach you proper etiquette?"

"I mean, the only thing they taught me was how to grab an ice cream from right under the noses of the ice cream makers!" While folks on those boards were perplexed by the scenario, Yui (Alpha) and her pal dashed behind the corner.

"Someone, grab them!" But, several minutes later, his directives were ignored. A man stepped in front of Yui and her friend, trapping them as they came to a halt.

"Now, now, now... Where do you believe you'll end up? Stealing is not acceptable nor courteous..." Both of them exchanged glances, but Yui took a step back. "Oh, but stopping someone from moving by stepping in front of them is? Your logic stinks like chicken nuggets, man!"

"Keep your language in check, twerp! Return that ice cream to its rightful owner!"

Yui, however, tasted the cream to further aggravate the man, and as a result, both men launched their claws at them. Yui was unconcerned about them, so she grabbed her friend's wrist and dragged him after her, speeding beneath the man's armpit.

"You filthy scumbags! I guess we're playing a game of catch and release, huh?!" Both of them chased after the two adolescents when the ice cream maker was crossed by the man's body. "It's awful to be overweight and not be able to catch kids!"

"You've got a chunk of-" He clenched his teeth and hurried after them to avoid any further insults. Their catch-and-run game progressed, and after a few minutes, both adolescents crouched behind an alleyway, where they snuck their eyes and spotted the two males running past it.

"And that's how you win a cat-and-mouse game!" Yui burst out laughing and immediately stretched. "I'm happy to share this ice cream with you. Because of the sun, it melted a little... but don't worry, it's still edible."

"Man, we definitely gave those two a run for their money!" Yui simply responded with a guffaw. "Sure, grannies and grandfathers can't compete with our stamina, bahaha!"

However, both of them recognized they were hiding in the incorrect spot at that very moment, and the entire alleyway was immediately crawling by individuals who appeared to be taller and buffer than the two teens.

"Have you two tiny shrimps become separated or something? Because let me tell you, this isn't the place for a scumbag like you!"

Yui and her pal continued to glance around, amazed. "Is this some kind of thug-infested backwater, or what?"

"This place is off-limits, youngster... especially for such shrimps as yourselves, even the foolish adults. Hear me out: the only gift you'll get if you enter this chamber is a thrashing to your knees! There's even more stuff we could make you do because there's only one girl and five of us, the lads."

"Huh? And what the heck does that even mean?"

"You're so stupid... that means you've had to suck our wonderful nuts if you want to get out of here alive!" With his hands clenched, the child laughed. "Come on, Jimmy... it's a little much... we're simply here to clean up the back streets, not to go that far."

"What the hell, why not? She's maybe ten years old, if not less, and she gets orders at home!"

"You nasty dumbass, I'm 12." Her companion hid next to her, just as Yui had advised. "Y-Yui... I believe we should return now."

"Now that they've said these words, there's no way I'm moving out of their way. I'm going to crush them so they can feel what it's like to suffer!"

"B-But... Yui!"

"Whoa, a tough one, aye? C'mon, a tiny stick like you with no tits for a girl couldn't do shit to us," Jimmy said, tensing his hand and punching Yui, who stiffened her head and took a step back.

Another boy smacked her and knocked her down, grabbing her shoulders and looking down at her. "Don't worry... you'll have to learn how to suck someone's nuts... else, how would your partner have a life?"

"Because of her stupidity, I'm confident she won't find a boyfriend; instead, she'll most likely be accepted by a poor family. She wouldn't be able to find something better!"

While the boys continued to converse, the one who was holding Yui pulled her forward and onto the floor.

They proceeded to gang up on Yui after that. They started hitting her from all sides, practically ripping her clothes from the way they were grasping her.

Yui's body sank to her knees and she was shaking from the pain until the last strike when her back was pounded.

"Please leave her alone!" Yui's companion, on the other hand, had no choice but to stand by and watch. "Didn't she say something to the effect of "beating our asses"? So, what exactly is the problem? Don't you want to make a big mess of us?"

Jimmy crouched in front of Yui, a frightening grin on his face as he stared at her shadowed face.

Her mouth was shut and her forehead was bleeding.

The laughter could be heard all around Yui, and while she tried to remain quiet, the opposite happened.

"... pitiful... fools like you, ganging up on two younger pupils... it truly irritates me..."

When Yui abruptly raised her head, the boys glanced at her with bewilderment. While the glass bottles erupted into fragments of glass, both of her eyes turned Demonic and her hair continued to wave.

Her body emitted a blood-colored glow that slowly faded away.

("That was the first day... I ever encountered the life of a Demonic Blooded person...")

Her right hand changed, and her nails became razor-sharp, her veins almost protruding.

("However, that day was only the beginning of my misery...")

Lines of black, white, and red threads erupted from her back and wrapped themselves around her.

("After witnessing how awful it made me appear... as if I were a serial killer... I resolved to never use it again... But now that I've learned more, it's pointless to keep it hidden.")

Yujiro stood in front of Alpha, smiling, waiting for something spectacular to happen, but his boredom was building.

"Let's get this party started! You don't intend to sleep for so long, do you?" Yujiro quickly heard movement behind the smokescreen, as well as two red little burning specks.

Alpha's energy level soared, just like it had before.

("It's the same as last time...")

Yui's friend caught a glimpse of her when she noticed crimson energy bursting from her back. "Y-Yui? W-going What's on here?"

("... I hit without hesitation, no matter who they were...")

Yui's body vanished and reappeared behind Jimmy's back, holding a beating heart and hearing a body splatter on the ground behind her.

("... Half-demons are bloodthirsty, but I'm not one of them... I killed a human with that skill... without hesitation.")

While the threads continued to whirl around Alpha's torso, forming something altogether different, her outfit began to shift. Her regular outfit was replaced by a sleeveless black/red uniform with a dark-blue bandana/scarf wrapped over her neck, expanding into two thinner portions and swinging behind her.

She was given black arm warmers that stretched to her elbows on both arms, with a waving thread behind them, as well as lengthier black and red slacks. In addition, a necklace with a crimson diamond appeared, and the right side of the face was instantly bathed in a crimson aura that spurted outward, her hair swinging back and forth.

Finally, four streams of crimson colors exploded behind her back at breakneck speed.

("But after committing a mistake and concealing it, I realized... All I needed was some self-assurance and a purpose to put it to use! I have no intention of killing anyone else without a reason... but to slay Tim... no, to slay Yujiro, this is what it will take!")

Finally, a red outline appears on all three of her blades, sparking out in the same way that aura does.

"Demon Mode - Zian-shin!"

The smokescreen burst forth and vanished into thin air with those words. Yujiro's face soon grew a grin.

"The technique that many Spiritual Duelists lack; one of them is me - its strength, mixed with the Demon Mode... it's something far more interesting to put effort into beating."

Yujiro chuckled as he carefully moved his arm behind his back.

"Koda-Chi!"

Yujiro's blade widened and the hilt lengthened after he uttered those words. The blade was shaped like a simple but long knife, and the hilt was wrapped in a chain that waved behind his back. The sword bulged out twice at the hilt, and his garments and hood waved.

"Kodachi - The Black Sun!" In Alpha's Demon Mode, paired with Zianshin, Yujiro's comments resonated and even impressed her. "So... it has a Kodachi stage?"

"Are you surprised? That's right."

"Not in the least... In fact, it'll be much more interesting as a result." Alpha's both eyes blazed red as she leaned forward, and two Duelists were now displaying rivalry.

While the two assassins exchanged power and prepared to fight, Elliott, Nina, and Tomomi appeared beneath them on the floor.

Genpaku, whose face was hidden behind a metal mask and whose red robes were flapping in the open window, awaited them.

He sighed, slowly elevating his view to them while keeping his arm placed on his knee.

"So, you're the first three people to arrive... Yujiro is fighting your friend directly above you... if you can beat me, he'll be yours... but don't be too ashamed after he crushes your bones..."

To be continued...