Sureiyazu

Episode 4: Akuma's Past

Aya glanced over at Hikari, but otherwise it seemed her confession had done nothing. Nothing. She was tired of doing nothing.

She tried to stand again, but fell. A buzzing was filling the cave, slowly. Something was going to happen. She screamed into the sound and stood. Stayed standing.

And walked over to the demon, her greatest fear.

"Tsugu!" she screamed, louder than she ever had before. The buzzing was a roar now, but she was louder. She was more powerful. More powerful than ever.

Without knowing what she was doing, she raised a had to the demon. "Begone!" her voice echoed through the cave. A light erupted around the girl. But Hikari wasn't scared. Never again would she be scared.

A screech than mimicked that of a dying demon joined the buzz that dominated the room. Maybe it was a dying demon. But Hikari was unfazed. She would never be helpless again. Never. Never . . .

A haze filled her vision, and she blacked out, as she knew she would.

~~~

The Sureiyazu rushed over to Hikari, who lay still on the ground.

"She can't be . . ." Aya said, frantically checking for a heartbeat and finding that there was none.

Yuri started wailing. Kasai turned from the group, and tried to pretend she didn't have tears streaming down her cheeks.

Aya wiped her own eyes before laying down the body of their deceased friend. Hikari had used all her spiritual energy to save them.

"She needs a grand burial," Aya told her two remaining companions. "One to match the great deed she has done for us." She couldn't help herself, and started sobbing silently.

~~~

She woke to the Sureiyazu crying. It was something she never thought she would see.

But then she saw her body lying beside them. Or rather, her previous body.

She smiled to herself. "There's no need to cry," she said.

Aya wiped her eyes and came over to her. "Akuma," Aya said. "You were possessed by a demon. But you were saved by our friend. If she were still here, I would say you owe her her life." Tears welled up in Aya's eyes again.

"I am her," said Hikari. But she wasn't Hikari any more. She was finally Akuma, once again. "I am the soul of Akuma. I only borrowed Hikari's body." When she said it, what she had done sounded more evil than it had really been.

"Perhaps . . ." said Aya, sniffling, "if you tell us the whole story, we'll understand." She smiled - or tried to.

It wasn't something Akuma liked to share - her life story.

***

A young Akuma stands in her home, crying. Her parents scowl at her.

"How could you, Akuma?" her mother scolds. "Are you trying to ruin us? Giving your apple to a beggar when we ourselves have no money to buy food?!"

Her father raises his hand and slaps Akuma across her face. She tries not to cry at the pain.

---

Akuma is in her room, a few years later. She hears a voice.

"Akuma . ."

"Who is it?" she asks.

"I'm your friend. Don't worry."

"Who?"

"I am Tsugu. I like you. Can we be friends?"