Eye of the Needle: Into the Reikai

DeMain VI: Boarding for Paradise

Avery had somehow successfully managed to convince DeMain's mother that they were going a few cities over to a private school with in-house dorms and paid lunches. DeMain was packing now, heading down to meet Ethel so they could get taken to the train station. All in two days' time. DeMain was skeptical, his mother wasn't naive, at least not naive enough to buy a cheap story.

"How'd you manage to convince her so quickly with so few strings attached? My mom wouldn't let me go anywhere. She didn't at least case the idea a little bit first? My old school, my friends' houses, even some of the places I went after class were all things she had to review for a week before I went."

"I've been giving her dreams for a few weeks now about giving you independence."

DeMain stopped in his tracks.

"What?"

"I've been giving her dreams for a few weeks now about giving you independence."

"Yes, I know. I heard you the first time"

"...Why'd you ask me to repeat it then?"

"Do you not hear yourself?! That's awful, man. You shouldn't be doing that to her."

Avery stared at DeMain silently, crossing his arms.

"What would you have done?" He asked, challenging DeMain.

"Not that!"

"Oh, sorry. Please explain to me what glorious method Mr. Rich has thought up to let us sneak out and go miles and miles away with no warning."

"Couldn't we just explain the whole witch thing? I mean yeah, lie a little bit but... manipulating her dreams is kinda fucked, dude."

"I--ugh. So... you're angry I convinced your mom that giving you more independence would be a good thing?"

"Now you're making it sound all sweet."

"I'm trying to look out for you. Think of all the stuff you've learned since coming here. I went through that too, I knew nothing. I'm just trying to help you."

"You couldn't have asked her or set up something with a real school?"

"That would cost money. Besides, people don't listen to anything unless it comes from inside their own heads, especially adults."

"We had around 400$ between both of us."

"That's mostly travel fees and food coverage, not setting up a fake school identity because you're too afraid to lie to your mommy, dumbass."

Ethel wasn't around to stop them from fighting, and it was early enough that none of the house staff were up and about to notice. Without warning, DeMain dropped his bags on the floor and began to crack his knuckles. Sensing the tug of a mental muscle, he opened his eyes again to see Avery's soul in its tortured form. He'd been practicing his witch sight in small bursts since first utilizing it during his Awakening. It hurt to keep it up for too long, but he could maybe do about ten seconds of witchsight every few minutes. Still, he wondered if it would help during a fight.

As DeMain brought into play his spirit needles, they manifested differently than before. Rather than being thin and brittle, their strength seemed to have improved. The once thin shape and structure has given way to a long, flat blade of nearly invisible energy that stretches forward from his forearm. Avery could definitely see it though, his wry expression becoming one of disapproval.

"Oh what. You're going to kill me now? Fine. You win—"

He wasn't going to give Avery the chance to pull his usual schtick of dismissiveness towards his own feelings. His blades swept forth, striking... Avery's soul. The twisted mass of metal and scar flesh took the attack surprisingly well, as if his blades were blunt against its rubbery skin. The creature laughed dryly, hideously, superimposed over Avery's expressionless figure. With a wretched snap, the creature's arms slam downward and broke his blades in two, refusing to remove the leftover shrapnel embedded in its own body.