Grasp

[Word Count: 2505]

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"It's been a while, hasn't it, ⬜⬜⬜ Devil?" Leo spoke aloud while briskly walking to school, his words carrying a hint of familiarity.

Shouzou had offered to drive Leo, but he had declined the offer. As they descended in the elevator together, Leo decided to broach the topic of their initial agreement.

Shouzou lamented the lack of any signs indicating the presence of the Hell Devil since their initial search. However, considering the desolate landscape resulting from recent purges, there was a chance that new leads could surface, and he intended to investigate them.

These thoughts led Leo to his current conversation with the enigmatic ⬜⬜⬜ Devil.

"So it would seem, human," the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil growled out, its voice resonating in Leo's mind.

Ever since Leo had managed to silence the ⬜⬜⬜ Devil and prevent it from seizing control of his body, he hadn't found much use for its power. In fact, he hadn't tapped into it at all since their initial encounter at the beach.

"You're quite pouty, ⬜⬜⬜ Devil," Leo remarked, amusement lacing his words. "You've even resorted to calling me 'human' again. Is it because I haven't located the Hell Devil?"

The ⬜⬜⬜ Devil remained silent, but a low growl reverberated within Leo's thoughts, eliciting a chuckle from him.

As Leo approached the school, he couldn't help but notice the peculiar glances he received from some of the students. Unlike the usual stares he had grown accustomed to, these looks were filled with pity and sadness.

"Hmm," Leo hummed, his curiosity piqued as he made his way through the entrance.

~

Leo's question was about to be answered as he stowed his shoes in his locker and entered the school building

As he made his way down the hallway, a mural caught his attention. It depicted the victims of the Gun Devil, their portraits displayed prominently on the wall. A purple-haired woman on the right, a brown-haired man on the left, and right in the center, a picture of Yuki.

Time seemed to stand still for Leo as his gaze fixed upon the mural. The once blank expression in his eyes transformed into a distant, thousand-yard stare. Despite his determination to move forward and embody Yuki's ideals, the world persistently reminded him of the loss he had endured that fateful day.

A surge of conflicting emotions washed over Leo. Had he truly moved on as he had believed? The weight of grief settled upon his shoulders once more, reawakening a sense of sorrow and longing he had thought he had overcome.

With his head hung low, Leo walked away from the mural, unable to bring himself to look back.

~

Denial. That was the fortress Leo had constructed, the foundation upon which his intelligence thrived.

But was it truly denial? Was he refusing to accept his reality? Or was it the haunting memories of that fateful day that rendered it so traumatic? Was it the heart-wrenching sound of Yuki's last heartbeat or the painful realization that he never had the chance to say goodbye?

Leo found himself grappling with these questions, his confusion spiraling into a simmering aggression that lacked a suitable outlet. As he settled into his seat at the desk, he pondered the path ahead and questioned what he had become.

When did this anger become a force that needed release? Hadn't he resolved to be different?

Interrupting his thoughts, a teacher whose name had escaped his memory approached him with empty words of support. It was the obligatory offer of solace, spoken mechanically, as the Gun Devil's attack had left only a tremor, literal and metaphorical, within the school's staff.

Leo didn't bother looking at the teacher, responding with a mechanical nod. "I'll be my old self soon, I just need time to unwind,"

With the obligatory "we're here for you" completed, the teacher patted Leo on the back and moved on to the next student, a casually smiling purple-haired girl, reciting the same speech with unnerving precision.

"It's fine. I haven't seen her in a long time," the girl nonchalantly mentioned, her smile unwavering.

The teacher stared at her in disbelief, their mouth slightly agape, before shaking off the astonishment and delivering the customary pat on the back. Then, they departed.

"Kids these days," the teacher mumbled as they exited the classroom.

Leo paid no attention to the exchange, his gaze fixed forward, lost in a void of nothingness.

After a while, a blond classmate, whose name Leo only vaguely remembered, approached him. The familiarity was due to the blond's father's connection to the Yakuza, a petty man who had begged for his life, claiming he needed to provide for his son despite evidence suggesting he hadn't seen him in years.

"Such a shame what happened to Yuki," Kamiki expressed, his faux sympathy laced with an almost pompous attitude. "At least she's in a better place."

The few students in the class watched the interaction with narrowed eyes, sensing the insincerity behind Kamiki's words.

Leo's mind barely registered the presence of his classmate, his focus consumed by the weight of his own thoughts.

Unfazed by Leo's indifference, Kamiki continued his self-righteous tirade, his words falling on deaf ears.

The class eventually carried on, passing by like a blur of unimportant moments.

Lunchtime arrived unexpectedly fast, and Leo found himself outside, moving along with the crowd as he had done in previous classes, while his mind remained lost in its own labyrinth, searching desperately for an elusive answer that lay right before him.

Suddenly, the piercing wail of the school's devil alarm shattered the air, sending students scrambling back inside. But Leo stood rooted to the spot, in the middle of the field, oblivious to the chaos unfolding around him.

Bursting through the school's fences, a bloodied and colossal beast emerged, towering over its surroundings. Its muscular frame was covered in coarse, matted fur, blood dripping from its wounds. Massive antlers extended from its head, twisted and menacing.

The grotesque figure of the Moose Devil surveyed its surroundings, huffing cold air through its nose as it sought a means of healing. Its predatory gaze locked onto Leo, standing motionless in its path. With a snarl, the Moose Devil bared its razor-sharp teeth, projecting an aura of ferocity and danger.

Charging towards Leo, the Moose Devil thundered through the terrain, leaving deep imprints on the ground in its wake.

In the distance, a trio of devil hunters closed in on the scene, with a surprising addition among them—Kishibe himself.

They perched atop a nearby building, their gazes fixed on the rampaging Moose Devil. A red-haired woman among them instinctively gestured a gun sign with her hand.

But before she could make a move, Kishibe's commanding voice halted her. "Wait."

Curiosity filled the red-heads enigmatic yellow eyes, accentuated by red rings. She turned towards Kishibe, silently questioning his decision but receiving no answer, before reluctantly lowering her arm.

The Moose Devil continued its relentless charge, drawing closer to Leo. With its massive head lowered it aimed to devour him with its gaping maw.

Leo lost in his own thoughts, remained unresponsive, his gaze fixed on a distant void. As the Moose Devil's mouth threatened to envelop him, Leo swiftly seized its upper lip, yanking it downward with surprising strength. The sudden force caused his body to pivot, pressing his back against the beast's lip.

Caught off guard, the Moose Devil abruptly halted its charge, jerking its head upward. The sudden motion launched Leo into the air, his body tumbling like a ragdoll for a brief moment before gravity pulled him back toward the ground.

Regaining his balance, Leo landed gracefully on his heels, now with his back turned to the Moose Devil.

With time running out, the colossal creature thrashed its head violently, causing the branches on its antlers to extend forward, poised to impale Leo.

Unfazed by the impending danger, Leo remained fixated on his distant thoughts. Slowly, he turned his gaze back towards the approaching branches, his movement deliberate and steady. As the branches crashed into the ground, the impact stirred up a cloud of loose dirt, engulfing the scene and shrouding the Moose Devil's view of Leo.

Seizing the opportunity, one of the branches from the Moose Devil's antlers unexpectedly pierced through the veil of dust, catching the beast off guard. The branch lodged itself into the creature's eye, eliciting a deafening screech of agony.

Within the swirling haze, Leo waved his hand across his face, his eyes showing a newfound focus and determination.

"I think I understand now," Leo muttered to himself, his voice cutting through the chaos. Retrieving two sturdy branches from the ground, he took resolute steps forward, steadily advancing towards the screeching Moose Devil.

As Leo's thoughts swirled with self-doubt and the weight of unattainable expectations, a sudden surge of determination coursed through him. Without warning, he propelled himself forward, discarding his doubts in a single audacious act. With a swift motion, he hurled one of the branches towards the Moose Devil's hind leg, piercing its ankle and provoking another anguished screech as the creature stumbled and collapsed onto its side.

Seizing the opportune moment, Leo pressed on, his resolve unyielding. He charged towards the exposed underbelly of the fallen Moose Devil, impaling his remaining branch deeply into its stomach. A gush of devil blood sprayed forth, splattering across Leo's face, but he pressed on undeterred.

Continuing his assault, Leo relentlessly thrust the branch into the wounded creature. However, the unexpected happened—the branch snapped abruptly, leaving him momentarily weaponless. Undeterred, Leo swiftly adapted, seizing the open wound he had inflicted. With a determined grip, he pulled with all his strength, tearing open the Moose Devil's flesh.

Desperate and weakened, the Moose Devil struggled to rise, but its vitality had been drained along with its copious blood loss. The gaping wound in its underbelly proved too much to bear, sapping the last vestiges of its strength. With a final thud, the creature succumbed, collapsing onto its side, with weak breaths.

In the aftermath of the intense battle, Kishibe's authoritative voice cut through the tension. "Let's go, call a clean-up crew," he commanded, his tone leaving no room for hesitation. With that, he turned and began walking away, his footsteps resolute and purposeful.

The two hunters exchanged a puzzled glance, their eyes lingering on Kishibe's retreating figure. It was the red-haired woman who broke the silence, her voice tinged with curiosity as she tilted her head to the side. "What about the boy?"

Kishibe paused for a moment, his steps faltering before he continued on. "He'll be fine, I'll come back and find him after school is done."

The red-haired woman watched Kishibe's retreating figure, her gaze lingering on him. After a brief contemplation, she turned her attention back to the black-haired boy, whose once vibrant form was now stained with the blood of the fallen Moose Devil. His gaze remained fixed on the creature's open wound, unblinking and lost in thought.

Taking mental note of the boy's state, the red-haired woman eventually followed in Kishibe's footsteps, joining him and the other devil hunter as they made their way from the scene, leaving the boy behind for the time being.

Taking a deep breath, Leo disregarded the metallic scent of blood and the earthy odor of moss emanating from the dying Moose Devil. Exhaling just as deeply, he turned around, his gaze meeting a swarm of students who had rushed to the scene.

Scanning the crowd, Leo's eyes locked onto the familiar blond piece of shit from earlier, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

Refocusing his attention on the Moose Devil, Leo inserted his hand into the gruesome wound, suppressing any revulsion as he began to explore its innards. Frustrated by his initial search yielding no results, he clenched his hands around the wound, tearing it open further, and resumed his quest.

After a determined search, Leo's hands eventually discovered what he was seeking—a large, slowly pulsating organ. Tearing it open once more, he reached in with both hands, firmly gripping the Moose Devil's heart.

Each tug elicited a low screech from the dying creature, until it finally succumbed to its wounds, exhaling its final breath as Leo extracted its heart.

The heart, roughly the size of a five-gallon jug and weighing just as much, was slung over Leo's shoulder as he made his way toward the gathering crowd. Some students instinctively took steps back upon his approach, while others hurriedly moved aside when they caught sight of him walking toward them.

Leo's eyes locked onto Kamiki as he neared, his intentions veiled in uncertainty.

As the final student cleared his path, Leo stood face to face with Kamiki, the latter sporting a feeble scowl.

With his free hand, Leo reached out toward Kamiki, smearing his chest with the viscous Moose Devil blood. Repeating the action with the back of his hand, Leo's smirk deepened at the sight of Kamiki's furious glare.

Disgusted expressions flickered across the faces of the watching students, some struggling to keep their food down as they gagged.

Satisfied with his handiwork, Leo pinched a chunk from the bottom of the Moose Devil's heart, allowing the blood to pour out in a crimson cascade.

Lifting the dripping heart above Kamiki's head, Leo let the contents cascade down upon him.

A collective grimace swept through the onlookers. Questions arose among them—what had Kamiki done to deserve such treatment? Wasn't he known for being friendly?

Gritting his teeth, Kamiki kept his eyes shut, enduring the warm liquid streaming down his body.

Minutes felt like hours as the flow from the Moose Devil's heart finally ceased. Kamiki, from head to toe, was now drenched in its blood, surpassing even Leo's partially stained torso.

Allowing the heart to fall behind Kamiki, Leo looked down upon him, a sense of satisfaction lingering within.

"I may never be like my mother, and I've accepted that," Leo muttered to himself. "But I'll keep moving forward regardless."

No words were exchanged between the two as Leo simply stepped away, heading towards the entrance of the school.

As Leo's footsteps faded into the distance, Kamiki hastily wiped the Moose Devil's blood from his face using his own bloodied hands.

With a sudden swiftness, Kamiki spun around, his gaze fixated on Leo's nonchalant departure.

Biting his tongue, Kamiki wrestled with conflicting thoughts. What could he possibly say or do in response? Leo had just single-handedly torn apart and slain a devil that dwarfed him in size.

Swallowing his pride, Kamiki clenched his fists and took a deep breath before striding towards the school, causing a commotion as students jostled one another to avoid contact with the splattered moose blood.

~

"What now?" Leo mused to himself, vaulting over the school gate and venturing beyond its confines, unknowingly leaving his backpack behind.

Weighing his options, Leo settled on the clear choice – heading towards the antique store. With the entire day stretched out before him, he saw no reason not to embrace his current circumstances sooner rather than later.