Chapter 4 - the day I realized I was different

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Project 0409 -

I couldn't pinpoint this feeling. There was fire in my veins yet a shadow casted itself over me. The devil's eyes changed to a ghostly white while she approached and held me tight to her chest.

"There's no need for such dark feelings. You aren't alone." She spoke into my ear. I then understood that this was the day I realized I was different. Why I wore the mask, Why I was experimented on, discarded, and left alone. I was let go by the devil who started walking ahead. I followed behind her as she answered some of my questions. She finally introduced herself as Casper. She bawled her fists as she explained how she was also like me, in hell she was the only soul who was masked and driven away from the community. She hasn't seen her own face or skin in centuries.

I caught up to her side and asked what the substance even was. Casper explained how this ether mysteriously shrouded her body over night. I traced my finger along her arm and saw the ether part from her body. I jerked my finger back and the ether started to reseal itself. I questioned to myself how strange it was but there were more important things at hand. Casper told me that there is a place we can go where outcasts are accepted. She went on about a location in a city called Confort that she and the other soul Judy Calmer hang out. She told me that Calmer was the only person in hell who tried to help Casper instead of poisoning her mind by joining an army or becoming a slave to higher power. The journey was quite short yet the city of Confort was massive and beautiful. I gazed in awe at how many homes were just scattered in divisions, along with the massive towers that Casper called businesses. I felt myself skipping along the sides of the road. So many things were being formed in my head as Casper told me about what everything does in this town. There were small markets that were rich in different smells as their items were. I hadn't even noticed how Casper blended with the local population. Instead of her slick pitch black body it was a similarly colored overcoat with a black fedora. Her head stays tilted down to avoid people seeing her different colored eyes.

Casper seemed to have gotten side tracked, she was twisting and turning around her surroundings and talking to herself. I nudged up to her arm and wrapped mine around hers "C'mon Casper the stress isn't worth it. We can always find the spot another time." I reassured her. She calmed down and kept up her jolly self while we explored the city of Confort. Before we could get walking again this ugly beast grabbed Casper. I was knocked to the ground, Casper dropped the disguise as it soaked into her body and shifted to her hand, turning it into a razor sharp claw hand. She slashed up at the demon's hand, then came down on his side; Injuring him enough to let go.

A second figure came into sight. This one was hooded but I could make out the horns emerging from the cowl. The figure pounced on the demon and tore into his back. Before the thing could tear out his spine the demon fled deeper into the city. Casper threw me onto her back and started crawling insanely fast up the wall. She felt like a spider chasing its prey. She had concern plastered in her eyes as she exclaimed to me that no matter what I don't look back if the devil gets her. I felt confused yet calm. Casper gave an impromptu lesson on demons and devils.

Demons are less powered than devils, they are only killed when the vertebrae is severed. Devils are the top dogs of hell, any soul who achieves the devil status will be granted horns fitting their entire life story. Devils also possess a special sight that lets them see the world so slow it's practically not moving, in this state of mind the devil gains the ability to see through their enemy. Kinda like the enemy telling you all their weaknesses and teaching you how to kill them.

Casper tripped on herself and the devil flew past us and towards the demon. His voice sounded so curdled and tortured. Casper kept me in the corner of the buildings and she crouched in front of me while facing down the alleyway. In the distance we could hear the clashing of swords and screaming. The battle noises suddenly ceased when the demon eventually came around the corner and charged at us. Casper lacerated the demon along his stomach line, he backed up until she kicked out his leg and slammed his head into the wall. She repeated the head slamming so much that I needed to step in and end the demon's life. Before I could move the sounds around me started to fade. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as a white flash took me from the city. I was laying on the plain of infinity as I heard that devil from before. He was telling me that I had a mission to complete. As I sat up the devil inched closer to me. I calmly asked him who he was yet he returned no reply. He only knelt in front of me and stuck out his left arm.

A wall of shiney silver weapons eternally appeared in the direction his arm faced. The devil never showed his face but he claimed he was not the enemy. I fully stood up and gazed at the weapons, the devil walking beside me. He told me that at all costs Casper belongs to me. I am to end her suffering by killing Judy Calmer. I quickly realized why the weapons were here now, he was giving me something from his arsenal to carry out my mission.

The devil continued talking while I eyeballed the weapons. He claimed that I am able to consult him whenever I please. He told me that if I am ever in a dire situation that could jeopardize Casper's life I need to repeat the name 'Mazoku' until the required strength is pent up to eliminate the threat.

I found the weapon I wanted. I picked out a silver sword that had eagle wings as a cross guard. The hilt had these black lines form in a synonymous manner. The line connected to my arm up to my shoulder. And the pommel of the hilt was a devil fox. I felt myself being released from this plain of existence, I was back in the alley. Time still slowed to a crawl. I started seeing a black line glowing from the demon's back. I gripped the blade tight in my hand, drawing my left foot back while planting my right into the ground. I could hear a heartbeat drown all sounds. I raised the sword to my left shoulder and planted my left hand onto the ground. The heartbeat in my head began to rise, the smallest sounds such as breathing could be heard with great intensity. I took one big breath and leaped off my right foot. I soared into the air like a bullet, Casper was slowly pulling the demon's head from the wall as I swung the blade closer.

I felt the blade make contact with the demon's gut. The lines from my arm rapidly surrounded the demon, holding him in place as the blade practically phased right through him. I successfully sliced through his entire torso when I flipped through the air and landed on my feet. I slowly slid across the dirt, my breath exhaling until I stopped sliding. When the heartbeat in my head ceased, the world caught up to normal speed. The demon's body went limp as Casper dropped him. I held the sword high in the air until I stood up and switched to reverse arms. Casper just stood there in awe when I pulled the pommel fox head and spun the hilt in my hand to fold the blade into itself. I sheathed the folded sword into my sword pouch on my belt.

"Rest eternally." I coldly said to the demon corpse. Before Casper could say anything the kitsune and the hooded man found us. Casper and I switched focus to them when unexpectedly the hooded man removed his hood, sheathed his blade and held his hands up. 

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