A Human Heart

[Kunimatsu POV]

'That bitch.'

I couldn't be more angry at what he had done.

We have worked once before, as fellow visionaries of the underworld, but that did not mean we did not have professional courtesy.

'Robbing me of so much wealth even from beyond the grave, making me lose more money than I could ever spend.'

I waited. Waited at the gates. Waited at my front doorstep.

For that demon to come collect his dues.

[Unknown POV]

'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!' I had no time to let out my swears to help calm me down as I was too busy calling the next number, hoping that he would somehow be my salvation.

"Ring, Ring..."

"Hello?" The voice from over the phone questioned, seeming to not recognize the caller.

"Captain Straydum, it's me."

"Oh, yes, what do you want now, I'm already busy." The man was obviously annoyed at having received my call, his current duty super seeing all others.

'This bitch, I'd always hated how much leeway they gave him, just for being friends with that demon.' However, now, I had put these thoughts aside if I wanted to live.

After all, this man was the one that knew best on how to deal with that calamity, his usefulness and ability even recognized by the President and by those with enough political power to be in the know.

It was a tightly guarded secret, that man's existence, both to prevent mass panic as well as to save the respect of the strength of the nation, its honor itself. Even the presidential candidates themselves only being told of that secret after they win the election.

'Fuck.'

"I'd like an update. Did you stop their plans to commit suicide by trying to 'exterminate' this new threat to the nation."

"Of course, why would the US not offer friendship when he's from here?"

'Thank God.'

"They've just set up the introduction date, I'm busy setting up the meeting right now, call me later-"

I turned off of the phone, having been saved from myself, almost causing more pain to myself than I could hope to atone for.

'Thank God.'

[Captain Strydum]

"Hmm...that's strange."

'I'd thought he'd have been more happy for the nation, with us finally having another similar weapon of our own.'

Sure the boy had not yet fully matured, but he had the right mindset in him to eventually reach that height.

'He'd been so disappointed when I had told him of Baki's personality in one of my few required reports. Finally, we have it, a beast cub that we can raise to be our last line of defense.'

Of course, even those old men had learned from this mistake before, having to bow down towards Yujiro after showing aggression, their friendship ruined from the start.

'This time's different.' That boy, despite being his son, an issue of debate that even after all of my explanations and meetings with them, the majority still believed, was at least able to be reasoned with.

'Those idiots, wanting to dig up more information on his personal family history, knowing full well that he would not take kindly to such an invasion of privacy.'

My words in reminder to the President having been enough to remind him of this fact, stopping everyone from doing anything that might sour our relationships before the deal could be proposed.

'They're all delusional,' I shook my head at their stupidity, 'thinking that just because he's shown some interest in 'wealth' before they will somehow be able to buy his support.'

Not only were they conveniently forgetting the fact that that boy was the heir of the pheraphs the richest family in the world in the next few years, they were even going so far as to misinterpret the few bits of information they had been able to dig up to suit their needs.

'Idiots.'

[President of The United States - George Bosch]

"President, are you ready for the parade?" One of the body guards for this event, a member of the secret service asked me that question just as we were entering Dallas.

"Of course, doesn't it look like it on my face?" I was in as especially good mood today, not even the reminder of that man's existence could bring me down.

I couldn't stop smiling, this grin plastered onto my face after having been told of the new discovery by Captain Strydum.

'I wish I could give that Captain a promotion, for all of his help.'

'It had all worked out so perfectly.'

My heart had almost stopped when we learned of that boy's existence and strength, another hellspawn from that demon.

It was as if it was the birth of a new calamity for the next generation to deal with, this one maybe even worse than before.

One of the few good things I could say about that monster was his unconcerned attitude towards anything other than himself. It was surely a curse, but one we had grown to live with, it's consequences still bearable.

He would generally never harm the innocents unless provoked, treating them as ants for him not deserving of any attention. He treated the country like a circus and us as his jesters, bending over backwards to alleviate his boredom.

His son on the other hand, we initially had nothing to go off of, appearing with such strength seemingly out of nowhere.

'I don't know how you did it Rosen. Were you tricked or did you know of your wife's trauma?'

As a member of the upper class, I was of course familiar with the Rosen family name. Not just that, I had even met the previous family head at a Gala long ago, having been personally introduced by a mutual friend of ours.

I was initially surprised, both at the great excitement of my friend that I had only ever seen stone faced and cold, as well as the person he had introduced me to, one of his 2 best friends since birth.

They were so close with each other, the man even knowing the location of the mysterious Rosen family mansion hidden somewhere in the United States and known only to a select few.

I let out a sigh while continuing to think about that day, 'Even I wasn't able to earn their complete trust, not being privy to that knowledge despite my best attempt before his passing.'

'The three amigos they told me they called themselves during their escapades in college, Albert, Rosen, and Rumsfeld.'

I was also surprised by the personality of the man, in sheer contrast to his cold friend's that I knew so well. He was qualified, there was no doubt about that, but at his heart I could see, after our many conversations, that he was just a family man.

He couldn't be more happy, having found the love of his life, their story of meeting being just as beautiful as she herself, like something out of a fairy tale. 

Only Rumsfeld had ever disagreed, saying he could 'do better' in one of our private conversations long ago, earning a thorough beating from the man even when his wife was not around.

For that exact reason, despite the truth having been shown right in front of my eyes, I had refused to believe that such a woman would have cheated on her husband. I had seen betrayal, while getting to where I am today, but I had also seen them, her eyes of love whenever she looked at him. 

'There was no way it was consensual, she loved her man too much.'

For once, my hatred towards that demon had even exceeded my fear of him, for tarnishing such beautiful love of those two. Unfortunately, the only person who could get revenge for the now deceased mother would be the son of that demon himself. 

I was terrified initially, of how that beast raised without love would have been raised, we couldn't handle the worst case scenarios. What if that boy, in his revenge, had blown up his family's nuclear reactors in an attempt to kill Yujiro?

Some of those in power had even considered somehow killing the boy, not wanting to see the rise of another world power, this time with even more independence as there was nothing we could offer the boy that he already had.

I couldn't blame them, despite their foolishness, as we had been scarred by his dad already. However, they soon realized that even that was not an option after Captain Strydum knocked some sense into them. Not only could it potentially lead to his father's wrath, that boy himself had become no less dangerous than his father from what we could see.

We only had one attempt to show him either aggression or friendship, and if he lived through our attempt at aggression, he could cause untold amounts of damage.

Plus, that demon had also earned renowned support from a nation of great power already, as well as the favor of the Princess of another one as well.

Thankfully, God had not given up on our great nation. During our research on the boy's background, we had been able to find a crucial detail including his most recent actions, its weight surpassing even our past findings.

'The boy has a loving family.'

His sister, his Princess, his aunt, his uncle, and even his housekeep. He cared deeply about all of them already. 

'That's the key.'

The boy had shown no great regard for his family's wealth in recent years, despite being a small business mogul before. He had grown to disregard mere things like status and wealth, becoming more and more like that father of his.

Just yesterday, he had even transitioned all of his family's wealth into his Aunt's and sister's names, taking his 'name' and hands off the matter altogether.

'He can't be bought, not conventionally at least.'

We might not be able to afford his support, but we would surely be able to afford a good relationship with his family.

'That boy might be the bastard of that demon, but at least he has a human heart.'

And a human heart could be reasoned with.

'Now if only we could find the location of that damn mansion, we can start off on the right foot this time.'

By winning over his family.

'Just where are they?'

[Kuzan POV]

I reached him, the front doorstep of the man I had once called my master, his name given to me by Master Kaku as one of the egg's comrades.

I grabbed him by his only still intact arm, showing none of the respect a student must show, threatening to rip it off if the man did not answer my question.

"I need a name."

"Boy, I believe that you still owe me a favor."

'This cheeky old man, discussing payment even when he knows it will do him no good.'

[Kunimatsu POV]

"You've already called it in." the boy dismissed my claims, his mere presence radiating heat and battle intent, as he attempted to 

"That's why you're not dead." The boy obviously despised me for not having told him of that man's existence sooner, or for keeping the information of his target hidden from him.

"I only knew of the Princess, not you're aun-" my plea of defense cut off as I felt some pressure being subjected onto my arm.

"I need a name."

"I only know where he's from and who he works for." The boy nodded his head, despite what I could tell, of being frustrated and moved by the reveal under that mask of his.

'It's such a waste, maybe this is how Gavrilo Princip felt when he first realized what he had done.' 

I gave the boy what he was seeking. The employer who had hired that bitch to assistante his Aunt and Lover, choosing my own safety over that of this world.

[Kuzan POV]

"He lives in America, and works closely with the President, that's all I know."

The man finally gave me the information that I had somewhat expected from the start.

'Makes sense, only those with power and with access to a lot of resources would have been able to find the location of the mansion.'

I had long told Uncle Ikaria to travel to China, his phone call to me just earlier today informing me of his safe arrival at the Temple. I had even 'requested' Uncle Lander to stay, not that he would leave without his previous niece. 

'It was as we expected.'

Despite how much we discussed and tried to come up with a reasonable explanation together, we could not think of any apparent person who would benefit both from the assassination of Diana, as well as the death of Aunt Elizabeth.

'You were right Uncle Lander.'

The smile on my face grew, finally breaking a bit through the mask that had overtaken my face, a testament to the progress that I had been making in gaining better control over this 'state'.

'There were two employers.'

I could not hide my thrill, at being given the opportunity and the right to take revenge.

'Will that be enough for your Kuzan?' I asked myself, trilled at the discovery of the deliciousness of my next two 'meals'.

'Will devouring two nations be enough?'